No director, officer or employee shall offer or promise a payment or reward of any kind, directly or indirectly, to any federal, state, local, or foreign government official (i) for or because of an official act performed or to be performed by that official; or (ii) in order to secure preferential treatment for the Company or its employees. No director, officer or employee shall offer or promise any federal, state, local, or foreign government official gifts, entertainment, gratuities, meals, lodging, travel, or similar items that are designed to influence such officials. Further, because of the potential for misunderstanding, no director, officer or employee of the Company may confer gifts, special favors, gratuities, or benefits to such an official even if there is no matter pending before that official. The Company also strictly prohibits any director, officer or employee from making any payment or providing a thing of value if the person knows, or reasonably believes or suspects that any portion of the payment or thing of value will be offered, given or promised, directly or indirectly, to any government official.
It is our policy to cooperate fully with all legal and reasonable government investigations. Accordingly, the Company directors, officers and employees shall comply with any and all lawful requests from government investigators and, consistent with preserving the Company’s legal rights, shall cooperate in lawful government inquiries. No director, officer or employee shall make a false or misleading written or oral statement to a government official with regard to any matter involving a government inquiry into the Company matters.
Employees shall contact the CLO when presented with any such government request or inquiry prior to responding to such inquiry. Employees with questions about contacts with government officials should seek guidance from senior management. Officers and directors should contact the CLO prior to responding to any such inquiries.
D. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
All employees must comply with the FCPA, which sets forth requirements for the Company’s relationships with non-U.S. government representatives, which in many countries include individuals who would not be deemed government representatives in the U.S. (e.g., medical professionals and employees of educational institutions). It is important to note that these limitations apply with respect to a government representative at any level and not only with respect to senior or policy-making roles. As a U.S.-based company, the Company is required to adhere to all standards set forth in the FCPA regardless of the nationality or overseas location of the individual acting on behalf of the Company, whether an employee, officer or third party.
The FCPA requires that relations between U.S. businesses and foreign government representatives conform to the standards that exist in the United States, even if a different business ethic is prevalent in the other country. Accordingly, no employee or third-party person or enterprise acting on behalf of the Company, directly or indirectly, may offer a gift, payment or bribe, or anything else of value, whether directly or indirectly, to any foreign official, foreign political party or party official, or candidate for foreign political office for the purpose of influencing an official act or decision or seeking influence with a foreign government in order to obtain, retain, or direct business to the Company or to any person or to otherwise secure an
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