The Associated Press reports the State Department's lawyers have banned US ambassadors and high-profile workers stationed overseas from participating in the challenge, which uses videos shared on Twitter, Facebook and other social media to raise awareness³ of the incurable⁴ disease.

 

A House committee sent a reminder⁵ about a rule against using official resources to promote a private charity. The Military Times reports the Pentagon has issued a warning that says service members and civilian⁶ defense⁷ employees can't participate while in uniform.

 

An unclassified cable obtained by the AP on Thursday says the ice bucket challenge is against federal ethics rules.

 

"There are firmly established rules preventing the use of public office, such as our ambassadors, for private gain, no matter how worthy⁸ a cause," reads the State Department cable, sent last week. "Thus, high-ranking State Department officials are unfortunately unable to participate in the ice bucket challenge."

 

The State Department missive follows a House Administration Committee e-mail sent this week warning lawmakers of a rule in the ethics manual that prohibits using "official resources for the promotion⁹ or benefit of any private charitable cause." The House e-mail was first reported by Politico.

 

For House members, that means it's OK to use campaign funds and a campaign Twitter or Facebook account to share an ALS Ice Bucket Challenge video -- but not the official ones tied to the congressional office.

 

Some House lawmakers have been deleting their bucket challenge videos and tweets from their official accounts, according to the Quartz¹⁰.com news site.

 

More than $41 million has been raised by the ALS Association since July 29 to help strike Atromyotrophic lateral¹¹ sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

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