In order to assure that the business of the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation is conducted effectively, objectively, and without improper influence or appearance thereof, all employees and special Government employees must observe unquestionable standards of integrity and conduct. Employees and special Government employees shall not engage in criminal, infamous, dishonest, immoral, or disgraceful conduct or other conduct prejudicial to the Government. All employees and special Government employees must avoid conflicts of private interest with their public duties and responsibilities. They must consider the propriety of any action in relation to general ethical standards of the highest order, so that public confidence in the integrity of the Government will not be impaired. Certain standards are set by law. Others are set by regulation and by policy. This part incorporates by reference applicable general standards of conduct and prescribes additional necessary elements. Taken together, this part constitutes the Corporation's regulations on this subject. Failure to observe any of the regulations in this part is cause for remedial action.

Under the authority of 5 CFR 735.104(f), the Corporation adopts the following sections of the Civil Service Commission regulations on “Employee Responsibilities and Conduct” found in part 735 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations: §§ 735.202 (a), (d), (e), (f) through 735.210; 735.302; 735.303(a); 735.304; 735.305(a); 735.306; 735.404 through 735.411; and 735.412 (b) and (d).

As used in this part:

(a) Board Member means any member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation, appointed or serving under section 3, Pub. L. 92-578, 86 Stat. 1267 (40 U.S.C. 872).

(b) Chairman means the Chairman of the Board of Directors and President of the Corporation.

(c) Conflict means the subordination of public responsibilities to private interests, and includes the appearance of such subordination.

(d) Consultant means an individual who serves as an advisor to an officer or division of the Corporation, as distinguished from an officer or employee who carries out the agency's duties and responsibilities. He gives his views or opinions on problems or questions presented him by the Corporation, but he neither performs nor supervises performance of operating functions. Ordinarily, he is expert in the field in which he advises, but he need not be a specialist. His expertness may lie in his possession of a high order of broad administrative, professional, or technical experience indicating that his ability and knowledge make his advice distinctively valuable to the agency. (Chapter 304, Federal Personnel Manual).

(e) Corporation means the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation, created by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation Act of 1972, Pub. L. 92-578, 86 Stat. 1266 (40 U.S.C. 871).

(f) Employee means an officer or employee of the Corporation, but does not include a special Government employee as defined herein. The term includes those Board Members who are determined to be officers or employees of the executive or legislative branches of the United States or of the District of Columbia. The term does not include elected officials.

(g) Executive order means Executive Order 11222 of May 8, 1965.

(h) Expert means a person with excellent qualifications and a high degree of attainment in a professional, scientific, technical, or other field. His knowledge and mastery of the principles, practices, problems, methods, and techniques of his field of activity, or of a specialized area in the field, are clearly superior to those usually possessed by ordinarily competent individuals in that activity. His attainment is such that he usually is regarded as an authority or as a practitioner of unusual competence and skill by other persons in the profession, occupation, or activity. (Chapter 304, Federal Personnel Manual.)

(i) Head of the agency means the Chairman.

(j) Person means an individual, a corporation, a company, an association, a firm, a partnership, a society, a joint stock company, or any other institution or organization.

(k) Special Government Employee means an officer or employee of the Corporation who is retained, designated, appointed or employed to perform, with or without compensation, for not more than 130 days during any period of 365 consecutive days, temporary duties either on a full time or intermittent basis (18 U.S.C. 202(a)). The term includes those Board Members who are appointed from private life and required to file a statement of financial interests with the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission pursuant to part IV of the Executive order, or who are determined to be special government employees of the executive or legislative branches of the United States or the District of Columbia.

This part applies to each employee and to each special Government employee of the Corporation as defined herein and supplements the Executive order and part 735 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, promulgated by the Civil Service Commission on employee responsibilities and conduct.

In accordance with 5 CFR 735.105(a), the General Counsel of the Corporation is designated to be Ethics Counselor and shall serve as the Corporation's liaison with the Civil Service Commission for matters covered in this part.

(a) At the time these regulations are published, or amended, and not less often than once annually thereafter, the Corporation shall furnish each employee and special Government employees with a copy of the regulations. The Administrative Officer shall insure that each newly hired employee and special Government employee is given a copy of these regulations prior to or at the time of entry on duty.

(b) All employees and special Government employees will be advised by the Corporation of the availability of counseling regarding the provisions of this part.

The Ethics Counselor of the Corporation shall review each statement of employment and financial interests submitted under § 905.735-402 or § 905.735-403, except his own and those statements of special Government employees who file with the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission. When review discloses a conflict between the interests of an employee or special Government employee of the Corporation and the performance of his services for the Corporation, the Ethics Counselor shall bring the conflict to the attention of the employee or special Government employee, grant the individual an opportunity to explain the conflict, and attempt to resolve it. If the conflict cannot be resolved, the Ethics Counselor shall forward a written report on the conflict to the Chairman, recommending appropriate action. The Chairman shall review the report, solicit an explanation from the individual, and seek resolution of the conflict.

(a) In addition to any penalties prescribed by law, the Chairman, after review and consideration of any explanation given by an employee or special Government employee concerning a conflict of interest, may institute appropriate remedial action to resolve or otherwise eliminate the conflict. Appropriate remedial action may include, but is not limited to:

(1) Divestment by the employee or the special Government employee of the conflicting interest;

(2) Disqualification of the individual from a particular assignment;

(3) Changes in the assigned duties of the individual; or

(4) Disciplinary action.

(b) Where the situation warrants some form of disciplinary action, the Chairman may choose from a wide range including a warning or reprimand, suspension, reduction in grade or pay, or termination of employment. The disciplinary action selected should reflect the character and degree of the offense which demands such action and should be reasonable in light of that offense.

(c) Remedial action, whether disciplinary or otherwise, shall be effected in accordance with applicable laws, Executive orders, and regulations.