No employee shall in response to a demand, produce any documents, or provide testimony regarding any information relating to, or based upon Department of Commerce documents, or disclose any information or produce materials acquired as part of the performance of that employee's official duties, or because of that employee's official status without the prior authorization of the General Counsel, or the Solicitor, or the appropriate agency counsel. The reasons for this policy are as follows:

(a) To conserve the time of Department employees for conducting official business;

(b) To minimize the possibility of involving the Department in controversial issues that are not related to the Department's mission;

(c) To prevent the possibility that the public will misconstrue variances between personal opinions of Department employees and Department policy;

(d) To avoid spending the time and money of the United States for private purposes;

(e) To preserve the integrity of the administrative process; and

(f) To protect confidential, sensitive information and the deliberative process of the Department.