The Director may grant an employee permission to testify regarding agency matters, and to produce records and information, in response to a demand or request. Among the relevant factors that the Director may consider in making this determination are whether:

(a) This part's purposes are met;

(b) FHFA has an interest in the decision that may be rendered in the legal proceeding;

(c) Approving the demand or request would assist or hinder FHFA in performing statutory duties or use FHFA resources;

(d) Production might assist or hinder employees in doing their work;

(e) The records, information, or testimony can be obtained from other sources. (Concerning testimony, “other sources” means a non-agency employee, or an agency employee other than the employee named).

(f) The demand or request is unduly burdensome or otherwise inappropriate under the rules of discovery or procedure governing the case or matter in which the demand or request arose;

(g) Production of the records, information, or testimony might violate or be inconsistent with a statute, Executive Order, regulation, or other legal authority;

(h) Production of the records, information, or testimony might reveal confidential or privileged information, trade secrets, or confidential commercial or financial information;

(i) Production of the records, information, or testimony might impede or interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation or proceedings, or compromise constitutional rights;

(j) Production of the records, information, or testimony might result in FHFA appearing to favor one litigant over another;

(k) The demand or request pertains to documents that were produced by another agency;

(l) The demand or request complies with all other applicable rules;

(m) The demand or request is sufficiently specific to be answered;

(n) The relevance of the records, information, or testimony to the purposes for which they are sought, and for which they may be used for substantive evidence;

(o) Production of the records, information, or employee testimony may implicate a substantial government interest; and

(p) Any other good cause.


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