(a) Prohibitions against ex parte communications. (1) No interested person outside the Commission shall make or knowingly cause to be made to any Commissioner, Administrative Law Judge, or Commission decisional employee an ex parte communication relevant to the merits of a proceeding.

(2) No Commissioner, Administrative Law Judge, or Commission decisional employee shall make or knowingly cause to be made to any interested person outside the Commission an ex parte communication relevant to the merits of a proceeding.

(b) Procedures for handling ex parte communications. A Commissioner, Administrative Law Judge or Commission decisional employee who receives, or who makes or knowingly causes to be made, an ex parte communication prohibited by paragraph (a) of this section shall:

(1) Place on the public record of the proceeding:

(i) All such written communications;

(ii) Memoranda stating the substance of all such oral communications; and

(iii) All written responses, and memoranda stating the substance of all oral responses, to the materials described in paragraphs (b)(1) (i) and (ii) of this section; and

(2) Promptly give written notice of such communication and responses thereto to all parties to the proceedings to which the communication or responses relate.

(c) Sanctions. (1) Upon receipt of an ex parte communication knowingly made or knowingly caused to be made by a party in violation of the prohibition contained in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the Commission, Administrative Law Judge, or an Administrative Judge may, to the extent consistent with the interests of justice and the policy of the Act, require the parties to show cause why their claims or interest in the proceeding should not be dismissed, denied, disregarded, or otherwise adversely affected on account of such violation.

(2) Any attorney or accountant who knowingly makes or knowingly causes to be made, or who knowingly solicits or knowingly causes the solicitation of, an ex parte communication which violates the prohibitions contained in paragraph (a) of this section may be deemed to have engaged in unprofessional conduct of the type proscribed by 17 CFR 14.8(c).

(3) Any Commissioner, Administrative Law Judge, or Commission decisional employee who knowingly makes or knowingly causes to be made, or who knowingly solicits or knowingly causes the solicitation of, an ex parte communication which violates the prohibitions contained in paragraph (a) of this section may be deemed to have engaged in conduct of the type proscribed by 5 CFR 2635.101(b).

(d) Applicability of prohibitions and sanctions against ex parte communications. (1) The prohibitions of this section against ex parte communications shall apply:

(i) To any person who has actual knowledge that a proceeding has been or will be commenced by order of the Commission; and

(ii) To all persons after public notice has been given that a proceeding has been or will be commenced by order of the Commission.

(2) The prohibitions of this section shall remain in effect until a final order has been entered in the proceeding which is no longer subject to review by the Commission or to appellate review by a court.