Covered Officers must follow the laws, standards, principles, guidelines, rules and regulations established by all applicable governmental bodies, commissions or other regulatory agencies in the preparation of financial statements, records and related information. If a Covered Officer prepares financial statements, records or related information for purposes of reporting to such bodies, commissions or regulatory agencies, the Covered Officer must follow the requirements of such organizations in addition to generally accepted accounting principles.
If a Covered Officer and his or her supervisor have a disagreement or dispute relating to the preparation of financial statements or the recording of transactions, the Covered Officer should take the following steps to ensure that the situation does not constitute an impermissible subordination of judgment:
| • | | The Covered Officer should consider whether (i) the entry or the failure to record a transaction in the records, or (ii) the financial statement presentation or the nature or omission of disclosure in the financial statements, as proposed by the supervisor, represents the use of an acceptable alternative and does not materially misrepresent the facts or result in an omission of a material fact. If, after appropriate research or consultation, the Covered Officer concludes that the matter has authoritative support and/or does not result in a material misrepresentation, the Covered Officer need do nothing further. |
| • | | If the Covered Officer concludes that the financial statements or records could be materially misstated as a result of the supervisor’s determination, the Covered Officer should follow the reporting procedures set forth in Section VI of this Code. |
| D. | Obligations to the Independent Auditor of the Trust |
In dealing with the Trust’s independent auditor, Covered Officers must be candid and not knowingly misrepresent facts or knowingly fail to disclose material facts, and must respond to specific inquiries and requests by the Trust’s independent auditor.
Covered Officers must not take any action, or direct any person to take any action, to fraudulently influence, coerce, manipulate or mislead the Trust’s independent auditor in the performance of an audit of the Trust’s financial statements for the purpose of rendering such financial statements materially misleading.
IV. | FULL, FAIR, ACCURATE, TIMELYAND UNDERSTANDABLE DISCLOSURE |
It is the Trust’s policy to provide full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Trust files with, or submits to, the SEC and in any other public communications by the Trust. The Trust has designed and implemented Disclosure Controls and Procedures to carry out this policy.
Covered Officers are expected to familiarize themselves with the disclosure requirements generally applicable to the Trust, and to use their best efforts to promote, facilitate, and prepare full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in all reports and documents that the Trust files with, or submits to, the SEC and in any other public communications by the Trust.
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