200.735-15—Interpretive and advisory service.
(a)
The General Counsel shall be designated Counselor for the Commission and shall serve as the Commission's delegate to the Office of Personnel Management on matters covered by the rules in this subpart. The General Counsel shall be responsible for coordinating the Commission's counseling services provided under this section and for assuring that counseling and interpretations on questions of conflicts of interest and other matters covered by the rules in this subpart are available to all members and employees.
(b)
There shall be designated as Deputy Counselors the Commission's Office of the General Counsel's Ethics Office, the Regional Director of each regional office, and the person in charge of each branch office. The General Counsel or his or her designee shall provide guidance to the Deputy Counselors for the purpose of achieving uniform interpretations of this subpart.
(c)
A member, employee, or former member or employee may obtain advice or guidance on the application of the rules in this subpart from any Deputy Counselor or the General Counsel. In addition, any former member or employee seeking advice or an interpretation relating to the Ethics in Government Act shall submit his or her request to the General Counsel.
(d)
The General Counsel and Deputy Counselors will treat information they receive pursuant to requests for advice or guidance under this Rule on a confidential basis, except that information they receive indicating a possible past violation of any provision of this Conduct Regulation or of the law will be brought to the attention of appropriate persons.
(e)
The Commission's Office of the General Counsel's Ethics Office shall furnish a copy of this Conduct Regulation (subpart M) to each member, employee and special Government employee immediately upon his or her entrance on duty and shall thereafter, annually, and at such other times as circumstances warrant, bring to the attention of each member, employee and special Government employee this Conduct Regulation (subpart M) and all revisions thereof.
(f)
The Commission's Office of the General Counsel's Ethics Office shall notify each member, employee and special Government employee at the time of entrance on duty, and from time to time thereafter, of the availability of counseling services and of how and where these services are available.