Federal employees attending association conferences and meetings for free have new guidelines on how to identify the sponsor of the event—making it potentially easier to ensure compliance with ethics rules.

The conundrum: Associations often label the companies and individuals who help pay for events with the terms such as sponsor, host and partner. So who is the actual sponsor for ethics purposes?

The U.S. Office of Government Ethics issued a legal advisory to agency ethics officials April 18. Federal News Radio reported on the advisory. http://bit.ly/2pMzuiz

Executive branch employees are prohibited from accepting gifts from prohibited sources, but there are exceptions related to widely attended gatherings and other events. However, employees may not accept a gift of free attendance from a "non-sponsor."

In the new guidance, OGE reiterates its longstanding advice that the individual or organization that organizes, plans and conducts the event is considered the sponsor, but provides additional clarity and examples.

"Merely providing financial support for an event does not make an individual or organization a sponsor of the event," the guidance says. "Ethics officials should dig deeper when necessary to learn about the actual role of individuals in organizing, planning and conducting events."

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