Resolution of apparent or actual conflicts of interest.

§ 73.735–904 Resolution of apparent or actual conflicts of interest. (a) Disqualification from participating in a particular matter or category of matters is an appropriate method for resolving apparent or actual conflicts of interest when the interest or activity giving rise to the problem: (1) Bears a direct or indirect relationship to particular, identifiable duties of the employee involved; and (2) Is not so substantial as to affect or give the appearance of affecting the integrity of the services which the Government may expect of the employee. Whenever disqualification is employed to resolve an apparent or actual conflict of interest, the disqualified employee shall sign a written statement reflecting the scope of the disqualification and the precise nature of the conflicting interest or activity. The reviewing official shall keep a file of all such disqualification statements and shall monitor compliance with these statements on a regular basis. (b) Change of assignment is an appropriate method for resolving apparent or actual conflicts of interest when the interest giving rise to the problem bears a direct or indirect relationship to particular, identifiable duties of the employee involved, and those duties constitute a significant portion of the employee's position. (c) Waiver under 18 U.S.C. 208(b) is an appropriate method for resolving apparent or actual conflicts of interest when: (1) The employee seeking the waiver reported the financial interest that bears some relationship to his or her official duties, and the reviewing official, in consultation with a deputy ethics counselor or the Department Ethics Counselor, determines that the financial interest is not so substantial as to be deemed likely to affect the integrity of the services which the Government may expect from such employee; or (2) By general rule or regulation published in the Federal Register, the Department has exempted the financial interest from the requirements of 18 U.S.C. 208 and this part as being too remote or too inconsequential to affect the integrity of the Government officers' service. (d) A trust containing a financial interest which may give rise to an apparent or actual conflict of interest is an appropriate method of resolving such conflicts when: (1) The trust is qualified under section 202(f) of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–521), as amended, and subject to the regulations of the Office of Government Ethics; or (2) In the opinion of the Department's Ethics Counselor, it is sufficiently independent of the employee involved so that the integrity of the employee's services to the Government are not compromised. (e) Divestiture is an appropriate method for resolving actual conflicts of interest when the nature of the financial interest is such that the conflict of interest cannot be adequately resolved by any of the methods set forth in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this section. (f) Terminating an appointment as a method for resolving an actual conflict of interest should be used only when it is clear that no other remedy can be found which would be acceptable to both the Department and the employee. Generally, this method will be employed only in the most extreme cases. Such a termination would be subject to adverse action.