Ethics Corner

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles provided by the Staff Judge Advocate.

Public service is a public trust, and all DoD employees are expected to act ethically at all times. This new series on ethics will present cautionary examples drawn from the DoD Standards of Conduct Office Encyclopedia of Ethical Failures.

If you have questions about ethics or are unsure about a certain course of conduct, contact the NASCC Staff Judge Advocate’s office by calling 361-961-3535.

Most of the cases outlined in this series could have been avoided if the offender had simply asked for guidance!

Today’s story comes from NASA and reminds us of the importance of keeping a clear line between what is business and what is personal:

A NASA employee on official business arranged to have his return date extended so that he could remain in the area for personal reasons. During his extended stay, he retained his Government-leased rental vehicle. While on his way to the airport to return home, the employee was involved in a car accident when an elk ran into his vehicle. The employee reimbursed the rental car company for more than $2500 in repair costs, and then submitted a reimbursement request to NASA. NASA refused payment as the employee was not on official business at the time of the accident.

The Federal Travel Regulation mandates that an agency may pay only those expenses essential to the transaction of official business. Specifically, employees may be reimbursed for deductibles paid to rental car companies only if the damage occurs while the employee is performing official business. After the NASA employee’s temporary duty ended, the rental car became both his expense and his responsibility.