Title 31

SECTION 501.710

501.710 Settlement.

§ 501.710 Settlement.

(a) Availability. Either the Director or any respondent may, at any time during the administrative civil penalty process described in this subpart, propose an offer of settlement. The amount accepted in settlement may be less than the civil penalty that might be imposed in the event of a formal determination of violation. Upon mutual agreement by the Director and a respondent on the terms of a settlement, the Director shall issue an Order of Settlement.

(b) Procedure - (1) Prior to issuance of Penalty Notice. Any offer of settlement made by a respondent prior to the issuance of a Penalty Notice shall be submitted, in writing, to the Chief of Civil Penalties, Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of the Treasury, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220.

(2) After issuance of Penalty Notice. Any offer of settlement made by a respondent after issuance of a Penalty Notice shall state that it is made pursuant to this section; shall recite or incorporate as a part of the offer the provisions of paragraphs (b)(5)(ii) and (b)(6) of this section; shall be signed by the respondent making the offer, and not only by his or her representative; and shall be submitted to the Chief Counsel.

(3) Extensions of time. The submission of any settlement offer does not provide a basis for adjourning or otherwise delaying all or any portion of the administrative civil penalty process.

(i) Prior to issuance of Order Instituting Proceedings. Any respondent (or potential respondent in the case of a pending Prepenalty Notice) may request, in writing, that the Director withhold issuance of any such notice, or grant an extension of time to respond to any such Notice, for a period not to exceed 60 days for the exclusive purpose of effecting settlement. The Director may grant any such request, in writing, under terms and conditions within his or her discretion.

(ii) After issuance of Order Instituting Proceedings. Upon mutual agreement of the Director and a respondent, the Administrative Law Judge may grant an extension of time, for a period not to exceed 60 days, for the exclusive purpose of effecting settlement.

(4) Views of Administrative Law Judge. Where an Administrative Law Judge is assigned to a proceeding, the Director or the respondent may request that the Administrative Law Judge express his or her views regarding the appropriateness of the offer of settlement. A request for the Administrative Law Judge to express his or her views on an offer of settlement or otherwise to participate in a settlement conference constitutes a waiver by the party making the request of any right to claim bias or prejudgment by the Administrative Law Judge based on the views expressed.

(5) Waivers. (i) By submitting an offer of settlement, a respondent making the offer waives, subject to acceptance of the offer:

(A) All hearings pursuant to section 16 of the Trading with the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. App. 16);

(B) The filing of proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law;

(D) All post-hearing procedures; and

(E) Judicial review by any court.

(ii) By submitting an offer of settlement the respondent further waives:

(A) Such provisions of this subpart or other requirements of law as may be construed to prevent any member of the Director's staff, or members of the Office of Chief Counsel or other counsel assigned by the General Counsel, from participating in or advising the Director as to any order, opinion, finding of fact, or conclusion of law to be entered pursuant to the offer; and

(B) Any right to claim bias or prejudgment by the Director based on the consideration of or discussions concerning settlement of all or any part of the proceeding.

(6) If the Director rejects the offer of settlement, the respondent shall be so notified in writing and the offer of settlement shall be deemed withdrawn. The rejected offer shall not constitute a part of the record in any proceeding against the respondent making the offer, provided, however, that rejection of an offer of settlement does not affect the continued validity of waivers pursuant to paragraph (b)(5) of this section with respect to any discussions concerning the rejected offer of settlement.

(7) No settlement offer or proposal, or any subsequent negotiation or resolution, is admissible as evidence in any administrative proceeding initiated by the Director.