(a) An employee who violates the provisions of the Act or these regulations may be subject to disciplinary action or civil penalty action as set forth in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section.

(b) Suspected violations of the Act or these regulations shall be reported promptly to the appropriate General Counsel and the Inspector General.

(c) The Inspector General will be responsible for taking the following actions:

(1) If the results of an investigation by the Inspector General do not provide any support for a determination that a violation of the Act or these regulations has occurred, then no further action shall be taken.

(2) If it is determined that the employee knowingly and through actions within his own control has done any of the following, the matter shall be referred to the Attorney General for appropriate action:

(i) Solicited or accepted a gift from a foreign government in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of the Act and these regulations;

(ii) As the approved recipient of travel expenses failed to follow the procedures set forth in the Act and these regulations; or

(iii) Failed to deposit or report a gift as required by the Act and these regulations.

(3) If it is determined that the employee failed to deposit a tangible gift with the Directorate of Administration within 60 days, or to account properly for acceptance of travel expenses, or to comply with the requirements of these regulations relating to the disposal of gifts and decorations retained for official use, but that the criteria of knowledge and control specified in paragraph (c)(2) of this section for referral to the Attorney General have not been met, then the matter shall be referred by the Inspector General to appropriate Departmental officials for administrative action.

(d) As set forth in section 7342(h) of title 5, United States Code, the Attorney General may bring a civil action in any district court of the United States against any employee who knowingly solicits or accepts a gift from a foreign government not consented to by the Act, or who fails to deposit or report such gift as required by the Act. The court in which such action is brought may assess a civil penalty against such employee in any amount not to exceed the retail value of the gift improperly solicited or received plus $20,888.

[45 FR 53972, Aug. 13, 1980, as amended at 62 FR 46184, Sept. 2, 1997; 74 FR 66034, Dec. 14, 2009; 79 FR 20, Jan. 2, 2014; 81 FR 41796, June 28, 2016; 81 FR 96353, Dec. 30, 2016; 83 FR 1293, Jan. 11, 2018; 83 FR 66084, Dec. 26, 2018; 85 FR 831, Jan. 8, 2020]