(a) An employee may not knowingly solicit or discourage the participation in any political activity of any person who has an application for any compensation grant, contract, ruling, license, permit, or certificate pending before the employee's employing office.

(b) An employee may not knowingly solicit or discourage the participation in any political activity of any person who is the subject of, or a participant in, an ongoing audit, investigation, or enforcement action being carried out by the employee's employing office.

(c) Each agency or instrumentality of the United States shall determine when a matter is pending and ongoing within employing offices of the agency or instrumentality for the purposes of this part.