October 17, 2002
DO-02-023
MEMORANDUM
TO: Designated Agency Ethics Officials and Inspectors General
FROM: Amy L. Comstock
Director
SUBJECT: 2001 Conflict of Interest Prosecution Survey
This Office has completed its annual survey of prosecutions involving the
conflict of interest criminal statutes (18 U.S.C. §§ 203, 205, 207, 208, 209)
for the period January 1, 2001, through December 21, 2001. Information on five
new prosecutions by U.S. Attorneys' offices and the Public Integrity Section of
the Department of Justice's Criminal Division was provided to us with the
assistance of the Executive Office for United States Attorney's in the
Department of Justice. Summaries of the prosecutions reported to this Office
can be found on our web site at www.usoge.gov under "Laws and Regulations."
______________________________________________________________________________
2001 Conflict of Interest Prosecution Survey
2. United States v. William L. Heyward -- Dr. Heyward was the HIV Vaccine
Coordinator for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) until December 1999.
While employed by CDC, Dr. Heyward made recommendations about, and participated
in the negotiations of, the terms of CDC's collaboration with a private company,
VaxGen, Inc. At some point during the negotiations, Dr. Heyward began
negotiating for post-retirement employment with VaxGen. The Government
maintained that Dr. Heyward's conduct violated 18 U.S.C. § 208 for participating
personally and substantially as a Government employee in a particular matter in
which, to his knowledge, an organization with whom he was negotiating
prospective employment has a financial interest. Pursuant to a settlement
agreement dated February 5, 2001, Dr. Heyward paid the Government $32,500, and
the Government agreed not to proceed criminally on the alleged violations under
18 U.S.C. § 208.
Prosecution handled by the Northern District of Georgia.
usoge.gov |
