Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (amended by the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 and the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007
5 U.S.C.A. App. 4 § 101 et seq. and 5 U.S.C. § 7353; 5 C.F.R. § 2635, and 41 C.F.R. §§ 301-1 and 304-1
Members of Congress and officers and employees of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches are barred from soliciting or accepting anything of value from anyone seeking official action from, doing business with, or conducting activities regulated by the individual's employing entity or whose interests may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the individual's official duties.
The House Leadership and Open Govt. (enacted into law Sept. 14, 2007) amended the Ethics in Govt. Act as follows:
Act SEC. 702. KNOWING AND WILLFUL FALSIFICATION OR FAILURE TO REPORT. Section 104(a) of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended— (1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(a)’’; (2) in paragraph (1), as so designated, by striking ‘‘$10,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$50,000’’; and (3) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(2)(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly and willfully— ‘‘(i) falsify any information that such person is required to report under section 102; and ‘‘(ii) fail to file or report any information that such person is required to report under section 102. ‘‘(B) Any person who— ‘‘(i) violates subparagraph (A)(i) shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both; and ‘‘(ii) violates subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be fined under title 18, United States Code.’’.
For more on this new law see the ACE memo titled What do the New Rules on Lobbying Congress Signify for Colleges and Universities?
links updated 2/22/06 pth
updated 9/26/07 by mlo to add House Leadership and Open Govt. Act