The law seems pretty clear. The money is yours. But, on the other hand, if you have doubts for any reason at all, either because you have not received ehtics training or you forgot it, then it is your responsibility to report this to an ethics counselor. The ethics people can go either way, it's hard to predict, because the law doesn't specifically mention cash, for one thing.

By the way, on a related subject, if you get any compensation for an involuntary bump, every bit of it goes to the U.S. Treasury. And that includes any food you might receive; an extra bag of pretzels is government property if you interpret the law strictly.

And it gets crazier. On a voluntary bump you can hit the jackpot and keep every penny and every comp they shower you with.

The laws are not consistent. It flips back and forth from one case to another.