5 U.S.C. § 6385: Prohibition of coercion

An employee shall not directly or indirectly intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other employee for the purpose of interfering with the exercise of any rights which such other employee may have under this subchapter. the term “intimidate, threaten, or coerce” includes promising to confer or conferring any benefit (such as appointment, promotion, or compensation), or taking or threatening to take any reprisal (such as deprivation of appointment, promotion, or compensation); and the term “employee” means any “employee”, as defined by section 2105.