Exception: Personal 
Relationships
What if you happen to be a personal friend of a Government employee? An exception allows Government employees to accept a gift from a friend (or relative) if it is clear from the circumstances that it was your friendship, and not the employee's official position, that motivated the gift.
In deciding whether the Government employee may accept the gift, relevant factors that are considered include the history of the relationship and whether the gift was actually paid for by you (as opposed to the company that employs you) and whether the nature of the relationship justifies a particular gift.
Sometimes friendships develop between Government employees and contractor employees who work together. Where the friendship developed on the job, a gift rarely is justified. This is especially true if the Government employee is in a position to oversee your work or otherwise participate in decisions affecting the interests of your employer.
