Some ethics provisions that apply to executive branch employees apply differently to an employee who qualifies as a “special Government employee” (SGE), or do not apply at all.

Congress created the SGE category in 1962 when it revised the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Congress recognized the need to apply appropriate conflict of interest restrictions to experts, consultants, and other advisers who serve the Government on a temporary basis. On the other hand, Congress also determined that the Government cannot obtain the expertise it needs if it requires experts to forego their private professional lives as a condition of temporary service. Since 1962, the SGE category has been used in a number of statutes and regulations as a means of tailoring the applicability of some restrictions.

As defined in 18 U.S.C. § 202, an SGE is an officer or employee who is retained, designated, appointed, or employed to perform temporary duties, with or without compensation, for not more than 130 days during any period of 365 consecutive days. The SGE category should be distinguished from other categories of individuals who serve executive branch agencies but who are not employees, such as independent contractors (who are generally not covered by the ethics laws and regulations at all). Also, although many SGEs serve as advisory committee members, not all members of advisory committees are SGEs.

The following lists have been obtained from various agencies, of their list of SGEs.

Defense Intelligence Agency

DIA Special Government Employees, requested 11/15/13 [31 Pages, 14.2MB]

Federal Bureau of Investigation

 FBI Special Government Employees, requested 11/15/13 [4 Pages, 0.9MB]

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The NSA leads the U.S. government in cryptology that encompasses both signals intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance (IA). The SIGINT mission collects, processes and disseminates intelligence information from foreign signals for intelligence and counterintelligence purposes, and to support military operations. The IA mission is to prevent foreign adversaries from gaining access to sensitive or classified national security information.

Back in 2009, I went after a copy oft the official employee manual. It was released to me in 2011.

Document Archive

 National Security Agency (NSA) Employee Manual (2011 Release) [130 Pages, 19.2MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/nsa/nsaemployeemanual-2011pdf.pdf

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Use of social media has become prevalent among Federal executive branch employees and agencies. The U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is aware that agency ethics officials have an interest in understanding how the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Executive Branch Employees (Standards of Conduct), 5 C.F.R. part 2635, apply to the use of social media. This interest is reflected in the increased volume of questions that OGE receives from various agencies seeking advice in this area.

As an initial matter, the Standards of Conduct do not prohibit executive branch employees from establishing and maintaining personal social media accounts. As in any other context, however, employees must ensure that their social media activities comply with the Standards of Conduct and other applicable laws, including agency supplemental regulations and agency-specific policies. To assist employees and agency ethics officials in this endeavor, OGE is providing the following guidance regarding issues that agency ethics official have frequently raised concerning employees’ obligations under the Standards of Conduct when using social media.

 The Standards of Conduct as Applied to Personal Social Media Use for Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Employees [36 Pages, 3.2MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/oge/OGESocialMedia.pdf

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This directive applies to the JC, as defined by the National Security Act of 1947, as amended, and other departments or agencies that may be designated by the
President, or designated jointly by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the head of the department or agency concerned, as an element of the IC.

Unauthorized” disclosures of classified information, including media leaks, may compromise sources and methods and pose a threat to national security. This directive establishes the DNl’s policy to deter, report. and investigate unauthorized disclosures and to take appropriate protective and corrective action. This JC directive (lCD) rescinds Director of Central Intelligence Directive 6/8, dated 9 December 2002. Notification to the DNI does not affect the authorities and responsibilities of Senior Officials of the Intelligence Community (SOIC) to report to the Attorney General possible violations of federal crimina] laws under EO 12333, as amended.

 Security Policy Directive for Unauthorized Disclosures of Classified Information, Intelligence Community Directive 701

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/odni/icd701.pdf

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The Office of Government Ethics exercises leadership in the executive branch to prevent conflicts of interest on the part of Government employees, and to resolve those conflicts of interest that do occur. In partnership with executive branch agencies and departments, OGE fosters high ethical standards for employees and strengthens the public’s confidence that the Government’s business is conducted with impartiality and integrity.

Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Employee Manual [374 Pages, 72mb]

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Below are the contents of a CD-ROM obtained from the DHS, after filing a request for the “DHS Employee manual / handbook.”

Department of Homeland Security Employee Manual [62 Pages, 4.34mb]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/manuals/dhsmanual.pdf

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Overseen by the White House Chief of Staff, the EOP has traditionally been home to many of the President’s closest advisors.

EOP Employee Manual [22 Pages, 4.84MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/manuals/EOPEmployeeManual.pdf

The post Executive Office of the President (EOP) Employee Manual first appeared on The Black Vault.

Their source is found generally in Departmental Order 350-65 dated 12/28/65, as amended by Departmental Order 960-81 dated 10/26/81, which provides that employees shall conduct themselves in a manner that creates and maintains respect for the Department of Justiceand the U.S. government.

In all their activities, personal and official, they should always be mindful of the high standards of behavior expected of them.

Manual of Administrative Operations and Procedures [1,420 Pages, 63.95MB]

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According to the online news site FCW.com:

By Adam Mazmanian

The National Security Agency just released “Untangling the Web,” an unclassified how-to guide to Internet search. It’s a sprawling document, clocking in at over 650 pages, and is the product of many years of research and updating by a NSA information specialist whose name is redacted on the official release, but who is identified as Robyn Winder of the Center for Digital Content on the Freedom of Information Act request that led to its release.

It’ is a droll document on many levels. First and foremost, it’s funny to think of officials who control some of the most sophisticated supercomputers and satellites ever invented turning to a .pdf file for tricks on how to track down domain name system information on an enemy website. But “Untangling the Web” isn’t for code-breakers or wire-tappers. The target audience seems to be staffers looking for basic factual information, like the preferred spelling of Kazakhstan, or telephonic prefix information for East Timor.

Still, the author seems unable to resist frequent allusions to the cloak-and-dagger work of the NSA in the screen grabs she uses as illustrations. A demo of how to uses Windows Live Search features a request for information on Uranium-235. A how-to on the use of video aggregator Blinkx is keyed to a search for Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The domain-lookup function of the WHOIS database is explained with a look at the DNS information of security firm Kaspersky Labs. Instructions on a complicated Google feature that allows users to view pages returned in searches stripped of any images is based on a search for DPRK.

Perhaps by using this technique, an NSA searcher could get info from the North Korean government website without tell-tale pings to the host network. But it seems unlikely that the puzzle-masters and cryptographers at NSA would find themselves in that sort of predicament.

It was last updated in February 2007, and the six year lag gives “Untangling the Web” the feel of an unearthed time capsule. In 2007, before the financial crisis, there was a mini-boom in specialized search, and this is reflected in the many now-defunct search services that are listed in the guide. The author, clearly a seasoned web searcher, has strong opinions about the utility and futility of certain techniques, and goes out of her way to tsk-tsk the “mess” that was Yahoo’s front page at the time.

The document contains some very useful information on searching the semantic or deep web – the disjointed mass of information and documents buried in databases that typically don’t show up in Internet searches, and these are worth a read for people interested in snooping for spreadsheets, slide decks, and documents that businesses, governments, and large institutions may have made available online inadvertently.

Source and special thanks to: http://fcw.com/articles/2013/05/10/nsa-untangling-web.aspx

1. Untangling the Web – A Guide to Internet Research [650 Pages, 313.5 MB]

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This booklet summarizes the laws, regulations and policies governing the political activities of federal employees and employees of the District of Columbia government. Its intent is to provide a basic overview of permissible and prohibited political activities. Employees should not rely on the opinions of friends or  co-workers when they have questions with regard to a specific political activity. Ignorance of the law does not excuse an employee’s violation of the Hatch Act. Reliance on incorrect or unofficial information also  does not excuse a violation. Employees with additional questions may obtain an advisory opinion by telephoning the Office of the Special Counsel or by submitting their questions, in writing, to the address listed below.

Document Archive

 Political Activity and the Federal Employee [14 Pages, 0.3MB]

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 Political Activity and the Federal Employee, 2 Page Information Sheet [2 Pages, 0.8MB]

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Here is an excerpt from the booklet outlining what you are signing:

As an employee of the Federal Government or one of its contractors, licensees, or grantees who occupies a position which requires access to classified information, you have been the subject of a personnel security investigation. The purpose of this investigation was to determine your trustworthiness for access to classified information. When the investigation was completed, your employing or sponsoring department or agency granted you a security clearance based upon a favorable determination of the investigation results. By being granted a security clearance, you have met the first of three requirements necessary to have access to classified information.

 Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement (Standard Form 312) Briefing Booklet [84 Pages, 0.6MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/manuals/standard-form-312_booklet.pdf

 Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement [3 Pages, 0.9MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/manuals/classifiedndaodni2013.pdf

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After more than 5 years of waiting, I finally received the DIA’s employee manual.  Of course, they processed the current version at the time of the original request, which was 2009, but it is well worth a read to get a glimpse of what it’s like to work at the DIA.This was released in November of 2014.

 Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) New Employee Guide, 2009 [ 204 Pages, 8MB ]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/manuals/diamanual-2009.pdf

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