1316.51—Conduct of hearing and parties; ex parte communications.
(a)
Hearings shall be conducted in an informal but orderly manner in accordance with law and the directions of the presiding officer.
(b)
Participants in any hearing and their representatives, whether or not members of the bar, shall conduct themselves in accordance with judicial standards of practice and ethics and the directions of the presiding officer. Refusal to comply with this section shall constitute grounds for immediate exclusion from any hearing.
(c)
If any official of the Administration is contacted by any individual in private or public life concerning any substantive matter which is the subject of any hearing, at any time after the date on which the proceedings commence, the official who is contacted shall prepare a memorandum setting forth the substance of the conversation and shall file this memorandum in the appropriate public docket file. The presiding officer and employees of the Administration shall comply with the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 554(d) regarding ex parte communications and participation in any hearing.