§ 207.
Restrictions on former officers, employees, and elected officials of the executive and legislative branches
(a)
Restrictions on All Officers and Employees of the Executive Branch and Certain Other Agencies.—
(1)
Permanent restrictions on representation on particular matters.—
Any person who is an officer or employee (including any special Government employee) of the executive branch of the United States (including any independent agency of the United States), or of the District of Columbia, and who, after the termination of his or her service or employment with the United States or the District of Columbia, knowingly makes, with the intent to influence, any communication to or appearance before any officer or employee of any department, agency, court, or court-martial of the United States or the District of Columbia, on behalf of any other person (except the United States or the District of Columbia) in connection with a particular matter—
(A)
in which the United States or the District of Columbia is a party or has a direct and substantial interest,
(B)
in which the person participated personally and substantially as such officer or employee, and
(C)
which involved a specific party or specific parties at the time of such participation,
(2)
Two-year restrictions concerning particular matters under official responsibility.—
Any person subject to the restrictions contained in paragraph (1) who, within 2 years after the termination of his or her service or employment with the United States or the District of Columbia, knowingly makes, with the intent to influence, any communication to or appearance before any officer or employee of any department, agency, court, or court-martial of the United States or the District of Columbia, on behalf of any other person (except the United States or the District of Columbia), in connection with a particular matter—
(A)
in which the United States or the District of Columbia is a party or has a direct and substantial interest,
(B)
which such person knows or reasonably should know was actually pending under his or her official responsibility as such officer or employee within a period of 1 year before the termination of his or her service or employment with the United States or the District of Columbia, and
(C)
which involved a specific party or specific parties at the time it was so pending,
(3)
Clarification of restrictions.—
The restrictions contained in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall apply—
(A)
in the case of an officer or employee of the executive branch of the United States (including any independent agency), only with respect to communications to or appearances before any officer or employee of any department, agency, court, or court-martial of the United States on behalf of any other person (except the United States), and only with respect to a matter in which the United States is a party or has a direct and substantial interest; and
(B)
in the case of an officer or employee of the District of Columbia, only with respect to communications to or appearances before any officer or employee of any department, agency, or court of the District of Columbia on behalf of any other person (except the District of Columbia), and only with respect to a matter in which the District of Columbia is a party or has a direct and substantial interest.
(j)
Exceptions.—
(1)
Official government duties.—
(A)
In general.—
The restrictions contained in this section shall not apply to acts done in carrying out official duties on behalf of the United States or the District of Columbia or as an elected official of a State or local government.
(B)
Tribal organizations and inter-tribal consortiums.—
The restrictions contained in this section shall not apply to acts authorized by section 104(j) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (
25 U.S.C. 450i(j)).
1
See References in Text note below.
(2)
State and local governments and institutions, hospitals, and organizations.—
The restrictions contained in subsections (c), (d), and (e) shall not apply to acts done in carrying out official duties as an employee of—
(A)
an agency or instrumentality of a State or local government if the appearance, communication, or representation is on behalf of such government, or
(B)
an accredited, degree-granting institution of higher education, as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, or a hospital or medical research organization, exempted and defined under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, if the appearance, communication, or representation is on behalf of such institution, hospital, or organization.
(3)
International organizations.—
The restrictions contained in this section shall not apply to an appearance or communication on behalf of, or advice or aid to, an international organization in which the United States participates, if the Secretary of State certifies in advance that such activity is in the interests of the United States.
(4)
Special knowledge.—
The restrictions contained in subsections (c), (d), and (e) shall not prevent an individual from making or providing a statement, which is based on the individual’s own special knowledge in the particular area that is the subject of the statement, if no compensation is thereby received.
(5)
Exception for scientific or technological information.—
The restrictions contained in subsections (a), (c), and (d) shall not apply with respect to the making of communications solely for the purpose of furnishing scientific or technological information, if such communications are made under procedures acceptable to the department or agency concerned or if the head of the department or agency concerned with the particular matter, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Government Ethics, makes a certification, published in the Federal Register, that the former officer or employee has outstanding qualifications in a scientific, technological, or other technical discipline, and is acting with respect to a particular matter which requires such qualifications, and that the national interest would be served by the participation of the former officer or employee. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “officer or employee” includes the Vice President.
(6)
Exception for testimony.—
Nothing in this section shall prevent an individual from giving testimony under oath, or from making statements required to be made under penalty of perjury. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence—
(A)
a former officer or employee of the executive branch of the United States (including any independent agency) who is subject to the restrictions contained in subsection (a)(1) with respect to a particular matter may not, except pursuant to court order, serve as an expert witness for any other person (except the United States) in that matter; and
(B)
a former officer or employee of the District of Columbia who is subject to the restrictions contained in subsection (a)(1) with respect to a particular matter may not, except pursuant to court order, serve as an expert witness for any other person (except the District of Columbia) in that matter.
(7)
Political parties and campaign committees.—
(A)
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the restrictions contained in subsections (c), (d), and (e) shall not apply to a communication or appearance made solely on behalf of a candidate in his or her capacity as a candidate, an authorized committee, a national committee, a national Federal campaign committee, a State committee, or a political party.
(B)
Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to—
(i)
any communication to, or appearance before, the Federal Election Commission by a former officer or employee of the Federal Election Commission; or
(ii)
a communication or appearance made by a person who is subject to the restrictions contained in subsections
2
So in original. Probably should be “subsection”.
(c), (d), or (e) if, at the time of the communication or appearance, the person is employed by a person or entity other than—
(I)
a candidate, an authorized committee, a national committee, a national Federal campaign committee, a State committee, or a political party; or
(II)
a person or entity who represents, aids, or advises only persons or entities described in subclause (I).
(C)
For purposes of this paragraph—
(i)
the term “candidate” means any person who seeks nomination for election, or election, to Federal or State office or who has authorized others to explore on his or her behalf the possibility of seeking nomination for election, or election, to Federal or State office;
(ii)
the term “authorized committee” means any political committee designated in writing by a candidate as authorized to receive contributions or make expenditures to promote the nomination for election, or the election, of such candidate, or to explore the possibility of seeking nomination for election, or the election, of such candidate, except that a political committee that receives contributions or makes expenditures to promote more than 1 candidate may not be designated as an authorized committee for purposes of subparagraph (A);
(iii)
the term “national committee” means the organization which, by virtue of the bylaws of a political party, is responsible for the day-to-day operation of such political party at the national level;
(iv)
the term “national Federal campaign committee” means an organization that, by virtue of the bylaws of a political party, is established primarily for the purpose of providing assistance, at the national level, to candidates nominated by that party for election to the office of Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress;
(v)
the term “State committee” means the organization which, by virtue of the bylaws of a political party, is responsible for the day-to-day operation of such political party at the State level;
(vi)
the term “political party” means an association, committee, or organization that nominates a candidate for election to any Federal or State elected office whose name appears on the election ballot as the candidate of such association, committee, or organization; and
(vii)
the term “State” means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the United States.
(Added [Pub. L. 87–849, § 1(a)], Oct. 23, 1962, [76 Stat. 1123]; amended [Pub. L. 95–521, title V, § 501(a)], Oct. 26, 1978, [92 Stat. 1864]; [Pub. L. 96–28], June 22, 1979, [93 Stat. 76]; [Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title VIII, § 814(d)(2)], Nov. 29, 1989, [103 Stat. 1499]; [Pub. L. 101–194, title I, § 101(a)], Nov. 30, 1989, [103 Stat. 1716]; [Pub. L. 101–280], §§ 2(a), 5(d), May 4, 1990, [104 Stat. 149], 159; [Pub. L. 101–509, title V, § 529 [title I, § 101(b)(8)(A)]], Nov. 5, 1990, [104 Stat. 1427], 1440; [Pub. L. 102–25, title VII, § 705(a)], Apr. 6, 1991, [105 Stat. 120]; [Pub. L. 102–190, div. C, title XXXI, § 3138(a)], Dec. 5, 1991, [105 Stat. 1579]; [Pub. L. 102–395, title VI, § 609(a)], Oct. 6, 1992, [106 Stat. 1873]; [Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII], §§ 330002(i), 330010(15), Sept. 13, 1994, [108 Stat. 2140], 2144; [Pub. L. 104–65, § 21(a)], Dec. 19, 1995, [109 Stat. 704]; [Pub. L. 104–179], §§ 5, 6, Aug. 6, 1996, [110 Stat. 1567], 1568; [Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(f) [title VI, § 635]], Sept. 30, 1996, [110 Stat. 3009–314], 3009–363; [Pub. L. 105–244, title I, § 102(a)(5)], Oct. 7, 1998, [112 Stat. 1618]; [Pub. L. 107–347, title II, § 209(d)(1)], (3), Dec. 17, 2002, [116 Stat. 2930]; [Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title XI, § 1125(b)(1)], Nov. 24, 2003, [117 Stat. 1639]; [Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b)], July 7, 2004, [118 Stat. 814]; [Pub. L. 110–81, title I], §§ 101, 104(a), Sept. 14, 2007, [121 Stat. 736], 740; [Pub. L. 111–148, title III, § 3403(a)(2)], Mar. 23, 2010, [124 Stat. 506]; [Pub. L. 113–235, div. H, title I, § 1301(b)], Dec. 16, 2014, [128 Stat. 2537]; [Pub. L. 115–123, div. E, title XI, § 52001(b)(1)], Feb. 9, 2018, [132 Stat. 298].)