Source: https://www.govregs.com/regulations/expand/title28_chapterI_part45_section45.2
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 19:06:53+00:00

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28 CFR 45.2 - Disqualification arising from personal or political relationship. § 45.2 - Disqualification arising from personal or political relationship.
Collapse to view only § 45.2 - Disqualification arising from personal or political relationship.
§ 45.1 - Cross-reference to ethical standards and financial disclosure regulations.
§ 45.2 - Disqualification arising from personal or political relationship.
§ 45.3 - Disciplinary proceedings under 18 U.S.C. 207(j).
§ 45.4 - Personal use of Government property.
§ 45.10 - Procedures to promote compliance with crime victims' rights obligations.
§ 45.11 - Reporting to the Office of the Inspector General.
§ 45.12 - Reporting to the Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility.
§ 45.13 - Duty to cooperate in an official investigation.
Employees of the Department of Justice are subject to the executive branch-wide Standards of Ethical Conduct at 5 CFR part 2635, the Department of Justice regulations at 5 CFR part 3801 which supplement the executive branch-wide standards, the executive branch-wide financial disclosure regulations at 5 CFR part 2634 and the executive branch-wide employee responsibilities and conduct regulations at 5 CFR part 735.
(2) The employee's participation would not create an appearance of a conflict of interest likely to affect the public perception of the integrity of the investigation or prosecution.
(2) Personal relationship means a close and substantial connection of the type normally viewed as likely to induce partiality. An employee is presumed to have a personal relationship with his father, mother, brother, sister, child and spouse. Whether relationships (including friendships) of an employee to other persons or organizations are “personal” must be judged on an individual basis with due regard given to the subjective opinion of the employee.
(3) An explanation of the method by which a hearing may be requested.
(b) If a former departmental employee who submits an answer to the notice to show cause does not request a hearing or if the Assistant Attorney General does not receive an answer within five days after the expiration of the time prescribed by the notice, the Assistant Attorney General shall forward the record, including the report(s) of investigation, to the Attorney General. In the case of a failure to answer, such failure shall constitute a waiver of defense.
(c) Upon receipt of a former departmental employee's request for a hearing, the Assistant Attorney General shall notify him or her of the time and place thereof, giving due regard both to such person's need for an adequate period to prepare a suitable defense and an expeditious resolution of allegations that may be damaging to his or her reputation.
(5) To a transcript or recording of the proceedings, upon request.
(e) The Assistant Attorney General shall designate one or more officers or employees of the Department of Justice to present the evidence against the former departmental employee and perform other functions incident to the proceedings.
(f) A decision adverse to the former departmental employee must be sustained by substantial evidence that he violated 18 U.S.C. 207 (a), (b) or (c).
(g) The presiding officer shall issue an initial decision based exclusively on the transcript of testimony and exhibits, together with all papers and requests filed in the proceeding, and shall set forth in the decision findings and conclusions, supported by reasons, on the material issues of fact and law presented on the record.
(h) Within 30 days after issuance of the initial decision, either party may appeal to the Attorney General, who in that event shall issue the final decision based on the record of the proceedings or those portions thereof cited by the parties to limit the issues. If the final decision modifies or reverses the initial decision, the Attorney General shall specify the findings of fact and conclusions of law that vary from those of the presiding officer.
(i) If a former departmental employee fails to appeal from an adverse initial decision within the prescribed period of time, the presiding officer shall forward the record of the proceedings to the Attorney General.
(j) In the case of a former departmental employee who filed an answer to the notice to show cause but did not request a hearing, the Attorney General shall make the final decision on the record submitted to him by the Assistant Attorney General pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.
(ii) Prescribing other appropriate disciplinary action.
(l) An order issued under either paragraph (k)(3) (i) or (ii) of this section may be supplemented by a directive to officers and employees of the Department of Justice not to engage in conduct in relation to the former departmental employee that would contravene such order.
(2) Limited personal telephone/fax calls to locations within the office's commuting area, or that are charged to non-Government accounts.
(b) The foregoing authorization does not override any statutes, rules, or regulations governing the use of specific types of Government property (e.g. internal Departmental policies governing the use of electronic mail; and 41 CFR (FPMR) 101-35.201, governing the authorized use of long-distance telephone services), and may be revoked or limited at any time by any supervisor or component for any business reason.
(c) In using Government property, employees should be mindful of their responsibility to protect and conserve such property and to use official time in an honest effort to perform official duties. See 5 CFR 2635.101(b)(9), 2635.704(a), 2635.705(a).
(a) Definitions. The following definitions shall apply with respect to this section, which implements the provisions of the Justice for All Act that relate to protection of the rights of crime victims. See 18 U.S.C. 3771.
Crime victim means a person directly and proximately harmed as a result of the commission of a Federal offense or an offense in the District of Columbia. In the case of a crime victim who is under 18 years of age, incompetent, incapacitated, or deceased, the legal guardians of the crime victim or the representatives of the crime victim's estate, family members, or any other persons appointed as suitable by the court, may assume the crime victim's rights, but in no event shall the defendant be named as such guardian or representative.
Crime victims' rights means those rights provided in 18 U.S.C. 3771.
Employee of the Department of Justice means an attorney, investigator, law enforcement officer, or other personnel employed by any division or office of the Department of Justice whose regular course of duties includes direct interaction with crime victims, not including a contractor.
Office of the Department of Justice means a component of the Department of Justice whose employees directly interact with crime victims in the regular course of their duties.
(b) The Attorney General shall designate an official within the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) to receive and investigate complaints alleging the failure of Department of Justice employees to provide rights to crime victims under 18 U.S.C. 3771. The official shall be called the Department of Justice Victims' Rights Ombudsman (VRO). The VRO shall then designate, in consultation with each office of the Department of Justice, an official in each office to serve as the initial point of contact (POC) for complainants.
(c) Complaint process. (1) Complaints must be submitted in writing to the POC of the relevant office or offices of the Department of Justice. If a complaint alleges a violation that would create a conflict of interest for the POC to investigate, the complaint shall be forwarded by the POC immediately to the VRO.
(vi) Specific information regarding the circumstances of the alleged violation sufficient to enable the POC to conduct an investigation, including, but not limited to: The date of the alleged violation; an explanation of how the alleged violation occurred; whether the complainant notified the Department of Justice employee of the alleged violation; how and when such notification was provided to the Department of Justice employee; and actions taken by the Department of Justice employee in response to the notification.
(3) Complaints must be submitted within 60 days of the victim's knowledge of a violation, but not more than one year after the actual violation.
(4)(i) In response to a complaint that provides the information required under paragraph (c)(2) of this section and that contains specific and credible information that demonstrates that one or more crime victims' rights listed in 18 U.S.C. 3771 may have been violated by a Department of Justice employee or office, the POC shall investigate the allegation(s) in the complaint within a reasonable period of time.
(ii) The POC shall report the results of the investigation to the VRO.
(5) Upon receipt of the POC's report of the investigation, the VRO shall determine whether to close the complaint without further action, whether further investigation is warranted, or whether action in accordance with paragraphs (d) or (e) of this section is necessary.
(6) Where the VRO concludes that further investigation is warranted, he may conduct such further investigation. Upon conclusion of the investigation, the VRO may close the complaint if he determines that no further action is warranted or may take action under paragraph (d) or (e) of this section.
(7) The VRO shall be the final arbiter of the complaint.
(8) A complainant may not seek judicial review of the VRO's determination regarding the complaint.
(9) To the extent permissible in accordance with the Privacy Act and other relevant statutes and regulations regarding release of information by the Federal government, the VRO, in his discretion, may notify the complainant of the result of the investigation.
(10) The POC and the VRO shall refer to the Office of the Inspector General and to the Office of Professional Responsibility any matters that fall under those offices' respective jurisdictions that come to light in an investigation.
(d) If the VRO finds that an employee or office of the Department of Justice has failed to provide a victim with a right to which the victim is entitled under 18 U.S.C. 3771,but,he.
(e) Disciplinary procedures. (1) If, based on the investigation, the VRO determines that a Department of Justice employee has wantonly or willfully failed to provide the complainant with a right listed in 18 U.S.C. 3771,the,in,a,or. The head of that office of the Department of Justice, or the other official designated by Department of Justice regulations and procedures to take action on disciplinary matters for that office, shall be the final decision-maker regarding the disciplinary sanction to be imposed, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
(2) Disciplinary sanctions available under paragraph (e)(1) of this section include all sanctions provided under the Department of Justice Human Resources Order, 1200.1.
(c) Any investigation of allegations of criminal misconduct against any Department employee.
Department employees have a duty to, and shall, report to the Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility (DOJ-OPR), or to their supervisor, or their component's internal affairs office for referral to DOJ-OPR, any allegations of misconduct by a Department attorney that relate to the exercise of the attorney's authority to investigate, litigate or provide legal advice, as well as allegations of misconduct by law enforcement personnel when such allegations are related to allegations of attorney misconduct within the jurisdiction of DOJ-OPR.
Department employees have a duty to, and shall, cooperate fully with the Office of the Inspector General and Office of Professional Responsibility, and shall respond to questions posed during the course of an investigation upon being informed that their statement will not be used to incriminate them in a criminal proceeding. Refusal to cooperate could lead to disciplinary action.

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