OGE Issues Final Rule on Gifts

The Office of Government Ethics has issued a final rule revising the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch applicable to the solicitation and acceptance of gifts from outside sources imposing a duty to decline otherwise permissible gifts when the appearance of impropriety is present, adding new examples of how to apply the rules, codifying previous interpretations of the gift rule, and retaining the $20 de minimis exception. In the rule, discussed more fully here, OGE says it will provide additional guidance and training as warranted.