As the partial government shutdown rolls on with no end in sight, many federal employees are scrambling to make ends meet. Some have turned to GoFundMe to raise money for living expenses.

More then 1,500 campaigns have been set up on the crowdfunding site by furloughed government employees looking for help, GoFundMe spokeswoman Katherine Cichy told CNN. Together, the campaigns so far have raised more than $300,000.

But these workers may be breaking federal ethics laws with their online fundraising. And the government office that could offer them some clarity on that is closed -- because of the shutdown.

They could go to jail

The federal law the government employees might be running afoul of is part of the United States Code that deals with the salaries paid to government officials and employees , under a section called "Bribery, Graft and Conflicts of Interest." In a nutshell, it says federal employees aren't supposed to supplement their salaries with outside income.

If they do, the penalties could be steep.

Punishment could be up to five years in prison, the law states . Employees also could be fined up to $50,000 for each violation or the amount of the compensation they received, which ever amount is greater.

"The primary law in question is a criminal law that prohibits payments in exchange for an employee's federal service," Walter Shaub , the former director of the US Office of Government Ethics , told CNN.

The reasoning behind the law: A federal employee who accepts outside payments could be susceptible to improper influence that impacts how he or she does their job.

But it's murky. If people are sending these employees money online primarily out of sympathy, that might be OK, Shaub said. But if people are sending money to them primarily because they're federal workers, that could be a problem legally.

"It is entirely possible that the government would decide this conduct violates that law, so I personally would never have done something like this while I was in government," said Shaub. "The potential penalties are quite severe."

Many of the GoFundMe campaigns started popping up in early January, after it became clear that federal workers affected by the shutdown might start missing paychecks. People are asking for help to pay their rent or mortgage, to buy food or even purchase diapers for their infant children. If they have questions about the legality of the funds they receive this way, there's no way to get an answer from the government right now.

'They're in such a tough position'

"The Office of Government Ethics could issue an opinion clarifying the government's views on this, but that office is closed during the shutdown," Shaub said. "A skeleton crew is still working on the ethics paperwork for the president's nominees, but federal appropriations laws prohibit any of them other than the director himself from working on other issues. As with all Senate-confirmed appointees, the director is still getting paid and can keep working, but he doesn't have his team of lawyers to help him."

Many employees probably don't even know that the GoFundMe payments could be legally problematic.

Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Photos: The government shutdown, in photos President Donald Trump announces a deal to reopen the government on Friday, January 25. He agreed to a temporary funding measure through February 15 that allows federal employees to return to work. The deal did not include the border wall funding that Trump had demanded. Hide Caption 1 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signs the deal to reopen the government on January 25. Democrats insisted throughout the shutdown that Trump should sign a measure to reopen the government before any border security negotiations could begin. Hide Caption 2 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos The air traffic control tower at New York's LaGuardia Airport on January 25. The Federal Aviation Administration reported delays in air travel because of a "slight increase in sick leave" at two East Coast air traffic control facilities. Hide Caption 3 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Furloughed government workers protest against the shutdown on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, January 23. As the shutdown dragged on, more federal employees were called back to work -- without pay -- to keep key things running smoothly. Hide Caption 4 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos The Capitol at sunset on Thursday, January 24, after the Senate rejected Democratic and Republican proposals for ending the shutdown. Hide Caption 5 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A furloughed worker displays a sign that reads "Reopen the Government" during a protest in Washington on January 23. Hide Caption 6 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Furloughed government workers hold a silent protest on Capitol Hill on January 23. Hide Caption 7 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Vickie Martin, president of the American Federation of Government Workers Local 1438, reacts to the locked door of US Sen. Mitch McConnell's office in Lexington, Kentucky, during a January 23 protest. Hide Caption 8 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Chef Joshua Wiggins cuts portions of meatloaf for furloughed federal workers in Red Bank, New Jersey, on Monday, January 21. The free lunch was served at JBJ Soul Kitchen, the restaurant of rock star Jon Bon Jovi. Hide Caption 9 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos US Coast Guard families receive free groceries during a food giveaway in Novato, California, on Saturday, January 19. Thousands of active-duty Coast Guard members weren't getting paid during the shutdown. The Coast Guard is the only military branch under the Department of Homeland Security. Hide Caption 10 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos US President Donald Trump announces a proposal to end the shutdown on Saturday, January 19. In exchange for $5.7 billion for wall funding, Trump offered temporary protection from deportations for some undocumented immigrants. Democrats swiftly rejected the proposal. Hide Caption 11 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Employees of Frontier Airlines bring donated food for federal workers to Orlando International Airport on Wednesday, January 16. Hide Caption 12 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A portion of a letter that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent to President Trump on January 16 asks him to postpone his upcoming State of the Union address until the government reopens. Hide Caption 13 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Airport operation workers flip burgers and hot dogs at Salt Lake City International Airport on January 16. They treated federal workers to a free lunch. Hide Caption 14 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos US Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Connecticut, holds a letter January 16 that was delivered to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office, urging the Senate to act on House-passed legislation to reopen the government. Hide Caption 15 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Security lines at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport back up Monday, January 14, causing some travelers to miss their flights. Officers with the Transportation Security Administration had been working without pay. Hide Caption 16 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Trump displays fast food for Clemson University's football team to celebrate its national championship at the White House on January 14. The administration said Trump paid for the meal after much of the White House residence staff, including chefs, were furloughed. Hide Caption 17 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos The White House looks especially wintry after a storm on Sunday, January 13. Hide Caption 18 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos The Capitol amid the snowfall on January 13. Hide Caption 19 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Job seekers fill out information during a TSA fast-track hiring event in Nashville on Saturday, January 12. Hide Caption 20 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A traveler sleeps near a closed terminal at Miami International Airport on January 12. Hide Caption 21 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington appears empty from the observation deck of the Old Post Office Tower on Friday, January 11. Hide Caption 22 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A child plays along the border wall in Tijuana, Mexico, on Friday, January 11. Hide Caption 23 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Federal workers and contractors rally against the government shutdown outside the AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington on Thursday, January 10. Hide Caption 24 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Trump is joined by US Sens. John Cornyn, left, and Ted Cruz as he visits the US-Mexico border near Mission, Texas, on Thursday, January 10. Trump, surrounded by border patrol agents, said: "We need security. We need the kind of backup they want." Hide Caption 25 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A protester holds a sign during a rally in Washington on January 10. Around 800,000 federal workers were out of work or were working without pay because of the shutdown. Hide Caption 26 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Katie Barron stands in her kitchen while working from home in Madison, Alabama, on Wednesday, January 9. Barron works for a private company not connected to the government, but her husband is a National Weather Service meteorologist who was forced to work without pay because his job is classified as essential. Hide Caption 27 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer holds a quote from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as he speaks to the media on January 9. Hide Caption 28 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Tables sit empty during dinnertime at Rocket City Tavern, located near numerous federal agencies in Huntsville, Alabama, on January 9. Business at the restaurant had been down since the shutdown began. Hide Caption 29 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Federal Aviation Administration employee Michael Jessie, who was working without pay as an aviation safety inspector, holds a sign Tuesday, January 8, while attending a news conference at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Hide Caption 30 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A tourist in Philadelphia takes a picture through a window of the closed building housing the Liberty Bell on January 8. Hide Caption 31 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos President Trump gives a prime-time address about border security on January 8. In his Oval Office address, Trump warned of "a growing humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border." Hide Caption 32 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Migrants from Mexico and Central America watch Trump's speech from a shelter in Tijuana, Mexico, on January 8. Hide Caption 33 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered a rebuttal after Trump's speech. "President Trump must stop holding the American people hostage, must stop manufacturing a crisis and must reopen the government," Pelosi said. Hide Caption 34 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Passengers wait in line at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday, January 7. Hide Caption 35 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A National Park Service ranger looks out onto Washington from the Trump International Hotel's historic clock tower. Hide Caption 36 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A pedestrian in Arlington, Virginia, climbs over a fence leading to Theodore Roosevelt Island, which was closed because of the government shutdown on Sunday, January 6. Hide Caption 37 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Visitors drive through Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Saturday, January 5. Hide Caption 38 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A donation box sits on the counter at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center in Florida's Everglades National Park. Dany Garcia, center, was being paid by the Florida National Parks Association to work in the center during the partial government shutdown. Hide Caption 39 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A woman and her child visit the tower deck at the National Gallery of Art in Washington on Wednesday, January 2. It was scheduled to close the next day because of the shutdown. Hide Caption 40 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A closed sign is posted on the gate of Smithsonian's National Zoo on January 2. Hide Caption 41 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A child looks inside the National Museum of African American History, which was closed because of the shutdown. Hide Caption 42 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Garbage overflows from a trash can on the National Mall, across from the White House, on Tuesday, January 1. The National Park Service, which is responsible for trash removal, was not operating because of the government shutdown. Hide Caption 43 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos This photo, taken on Tuesday, January 1, shows the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. While parts of the park were closed because of the shutdown, much of its South Rim was open and accessible. Hide Caption 44 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A view of the White House in late December. Hide Caption 45 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A public trash can spills over on Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue on Monday, December 24. Hide Caption 46 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Two people stand in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, December 22. Many of the National Mall sights remained open despite the shutdown. Hide Caption 47 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A National Park Service worker prepares to lock the visitor bathrooms at the Lincoln Memorial on December 22. Hide Caption 48 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos People line up to board a ferry to visit the Statue of Liberty on December 22. The national landmark remained open after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made funding available for it. Hide Caption 49 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer arrives at the US Capitol on December 22. Hide Caption 50 of 51 Photos: The government shutdown, in photos A road is closed near the Golden Gate National Recreation Area on December 22. Hide Caption 51 of 51

"All new federal employees are supposed to receive ethics training, but that's a relatively new requirement in the past few years, so employees who have been around longer than that may not have had ethics training," Shaub said. "The bottom line is that this is high-risk behavior that, sadly, could potentially land them in very serious trouble. I feel so bad for these (federal workers). They're in such a tough position. My heart is with them, and I'd hate to see them get fired or worse."

So if the GoFundMe pages set up by the federal workers are indeed on shaky ground legally, would these employees have to give the money back when the partial government shutdown is over?

CNN reached out to the Office of Government Ethics for an answer to that question, but emails and phone calls went unreturned because the office is closed due to the government shutdown.