Legal Expense Fund Regulation

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Office of Government Ethics 5 CFR Parts 2634 and 2635 RIN 3209-AA50 ( printed page 33799) AGENCY: Office of Government Ethics. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is adding a new subpart to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch (Standards). The new subpart contains the standards for an employee's acceptance of payments for legal expenses through a legal expense fund and an employee's acceptance of pro bono legal services for a matter arising in connection with the employee's official position, the employee's prior position on a campaign of a candidate for President or Vice President, or the employee's prior position on a Presidential Transition Team. OGE is also making related amendments to the portions of the Standards that govern the solicitation and acceptance of gifts from outside sources and the portions of the Executive Branch Financial Disclosure regulation that govern confidential financial disclosure reports. DATES: This rule is effective November 21, 2023. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maura Leary, Associate Counsel, or Heather Jones, Senior Counsel for Financial Disclosure, General Counsel and Legal Policy Division, Office of Government Ethics, Suite 500, 1201 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005-3917; Telephone: (202) 482-9300; TTY: (800) 877-8339; FAX: (202) 482-9237. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background The U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) published a proposed rule in the Feder…