Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: I was an employee of a company that was a contractor for a federal agency. A federal employee threatened to fire us if I refused to overlook misconduct on the part of several employees. Eventually, this is what did happen. There have been multiple audits and investigations of the situation. Does any recourse exist against the threats, harassment, and retaliation perpetrated by the federal employee who was making fraudulent misrepresentations?…
Browsing: ethics
You are looking for a job outside government, but you don’t want your current managers to know. Or you are about to retire and the company you have been working with on special projects might have a retirement job opportunity for you. Are there ethical concerns? If your job prospect has nothing to do with your federal job and no one could say that your financial interests — e.g. receiving a future salary from a company that does business at your agency — would be affected by your performance of your government job, you are free to look for a…
Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: I was involved in an investigation a few years ago and no wrongdoing was found. However, I later obtained documents that showed the agency lied during the investigation. I reported this to the original investigator and the IG office and GAO. Is it ethically okay for an agency to lie during an investigation? A: The short answer to your question is that it is not permissible to lied during an…
Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: Are there any rules prohibiting a federal employee from being compensated as a consultant for another agency where they do not work if the work is done on their off hours or during annual leave and is not a conflict of interest? A: There are not necessarily rules prohibiting such work, but such arrangements can be heavily regulated and conflicted. Contact your designated agency ethics official with full information about…
Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: Can a federal employee move from a GS-13 operations lead position to a contractor project manager position for the same contract company that had the operations contract? A: If you are talking about yourself, the answer to your question should come from your designated agency ethics official (DAEO). That person will answer your question. If you are talking about someone else, you can report your concerns to an IG hotline…
Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: Is it legal for a retired military officer to take a contractor job doing the same job he did as when in active duty? A: Yes, someone can come back as a contractor and do the same job, but with certain limitations. That person cannot represent a contractor or work on the same matter they worked on as a federal employee. To make sure ethics rules are not being violated…