The Command’s Environmental Division has successfully completed a large project, marking the successful completion of a contract. To celebrate, the contractor that supported the Division on the project hosts a party at its headquarters during non-duty hours and invites Command Environmental Division personnel to attend. The contractor will provide food and drink but will not offer giveaways, door prizes, or other items to the attendees.

May government employees accept the invitation to the party?

A. Yes, the contract is completed and, therefore, the contractor is no longer a prohibited source.
B. No, the contractor is still a prohibited source and government employees are prohibited from accepting gifts from prohibited sources.
C. Maybe, if an exemption or exception to the prohibition on accepting gifts from prohibited sources applies, such as the "20/50" rule.

Government employees may accept an invitation to a contractor's party if an exception like the "20/50" rule applies; however, they must consider if the contractor is a prohibited source to prevent conflicts of interest.

Explanation:

May government employees accept the invitation to the party? Government employees must navigate strict ethics rules regarding the acceptance of gifts from contractors and other entities that do business with the government. Therefore, the correct answer is C.Maybe, if an exemption or exception to the prohibition on accepting gifts from prohibited sources applies, such as the "20/50" rule. While it's true that the contract has been completed, the contractor could still be considered a prohibited source because of potential future dealings or the perception of influence. Various laws and regulations, including the standards enacted in 1965 which forbade employment discrimination by federal contractors, emphasize the importance of maintaining impartiality and avoiding conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other regulatory bodies also work with constraints due to political compromises, as noted in the discussion of command-and-control regulations, where existing firms negotiate for exceptions. Therefore, federal employees must carefully consider whether accepting such an invitation is permissible under government ethics regulations.