§7353 Gifts to Federal Employees

Summary

No Member of Congress or any officer or employee of the executive, legislative, or judicial branches may ask for or accept anything of value from a person who is seeking official action, doing business with, or (for executive branch staff) is regulated by their agency, or from anyone whose interests may be substantially affected by what the official does or fails to do. The ethics office that oversees them can make rules and allow reasonable exceptions. A person may accept a gift only under those rules and never in return for being influenced in an official act. Gifts accepted for the United States under other laws are allowed. Employees detailed from the private sector may keep pay and benefits from their employer while assigned to an agency. Violations may lead to discipline and other remedies allowed by law and rules. “Supervising ethics office” means the House ethics committee or House as a whole for House members and staff; the Senate ethics committee or Senate as a whole for Senators and staff; the Judicial Conference for judges and judicial branch staff; the Office of Government Ethics for executive branch staff; and, for some other legislative staff, the committee that receives their required reports. “Officer or employee” means an appointed or elected person in any branch, other than a Member of Congress.