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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-598 SesnyRichard J. Sesny, P.E. 329 Regent Road Harrisburg, PA 17112 ADVICE OF COUNSEL November 26, 2008 08 -598 Dear Mr. Sesny: This responds to your letters dated October 9, 2008, and October 22, 2008, by which you requested an advisory from the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission. Issue: Whether the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ( "Ethics Act "), 65 Pa. .S. § 1101 et seq., would impose any restrictions upon employment of a Civil Engineer Manager - Transportation following termination of service with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation ( "PennDOT "). Facts: You request an advisory from the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission regarding the post- employment restrictions of the Ethics Act. You have submitted facts that may be fairly summarized as follows. On August 8, 2008, you retired from your position as a Civil Engineer Manager - Transportation with PennDOT. You have submitted copies of a summary of your job functions during your PennDOT career, your official PennDOT position description, and the job classification specifications for the position of Civil Engineer Manager - Transportation (job code 1115T), which documents are incorporated herein by reference. While employed with PennDOT, you primarily worked in PennDOT's Bureau of Highway Safety and Traffic Engineering in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Though not part of your normal work routine, you participated on approximately six consultant selection panels. You also wrote work orders for existing consultant agreements. Having retired from PennDOT, you wish to continue working as an engineer. You are considering the following two part -time positions. First, you are considering part -time employment with a consulting firm ( "the Consulting Firm ") developing work zone traffic control plans, performing traffic /safety studies, and providing training for state agencies and local governments. Additionally, you are considering part -time employment with an engineering subcontractor ( "the Subcontractor") that is providing traffic engineering training and assistance to local governments through the "Local Transportation Assistance Program" Sesny, 08 -598 November 26, 2008 Page 2 ( "LTAP "). You state that LTAP is a federal and state funded program that is administered from PennDOT's Bureau of Planning and Research. LTAP provides training and assistance to local governments to improve their highway maintenance functions. In particular, LTAP provides classroom instruction and on -site help for road crews. The prime contractor for LTAP is the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors ( "the Contractor"). The Contractor retained the Subcontractor. You state that in your position with the Subcontractor, you would provide traffic engineering training and assistance. You further state that while you worked at PennDOT, you did not participate in the selection of the Contractor or Subcontractor, and you did not help in the development of the LTAP work plan. Based upon the above submitted facts, you seek guidance as to whether the Ethics Act would impose any restrictions upon you with regard to your post- retirement employment activities. Discussion: It is initially noted that pursuant to Sections 1107(10) and 1107(11) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 1107(10), (11), advisories are issued to the requester based upon the facts that the requester has submitted. In issuing the advisory based upon the facts that the requester has submitted, the Commission does not engage in an independent investigation of the facts, nor does it speculate as to facts that have not been submitted. It is the burden of the requester to truthfully disclose all of the material facts relevant to the inquiry. 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 1107(10), (11). An advisory only affords a defense to the extent the requester has truthfully disclosed all of the material facts. In the former capacity as a Civil Engineer Manager - Transportation for PennDOT, you would be considered a "public employee" subject to the Ethics Act and the Regulations of the State Ethics Commission. See, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1102; 51 Pa. Code § 11.1; Luben, Advice 08 -522. This conclusion is based upon the position description and the job classification specifications, which when reviewed on an objective basis, indicate clearly that the power exists to take or recommend official action of a non - ministerial nature with respect to one or more of the following: contracting; procurement; administering or monitoring grants or subsidies; planning or zoning; inspecting; licensing; regulating; auditing; or other activity(ies) where the economic impact is greater than de minimis on the interests of another person. Consequently, upon termination of public service, you became a "former public employee" subject to Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act. While Section 1103(g) does not prohibit a former public official /public employee from accepting a position of employment, it does restrict the former public official /public employee with regard to "representing" a "person" before the governmental body with which he has been associated ": § 1103. Restricted activities (g) Former official or employee. - -No former public official or public employee shall represent a person, with promised or actual compensation, on any matter before the governmental body with which he has been associated for one year after he leaves that body. 65 Pa.C.S. § 1103(g) (Emphasis added). The terms "represent," "person," and "governmental body with which a public official or public employee is or has been associated" are specifically defined in the Ethics Act as follows: Sesny, 08 -598 November 26, 2008 Page 3 § 1102. Definitions "Represent." To act on behalf of any other person in any activity which includes, but is not limited to, the following: personal appearances, negotiations, lobbying and submitting bid or contract proposals which are signed by or contain the name of a former public official or public employee. "Person." A business, governmental body, individual, corporation, union, association, firm, partnership, committee, club or other organization or group of persons. "Governmental body with which a public official or public employee is or has been associated." The governmental body within State government or a political subdivision by which the public official or employee is or has been employed or to which the public official or employee is or has been appointed or elected and subdivisions and offices within that governmental body. 65 Pa. C. S. § 1102. The term "Person" is very broadly defined. It includes, inter alia, corporations and other businesses. It also includes the former public employee himself, Confidential Opinion, 93 -005, as well as a new governmental employer. Ledebur, Opinion 95 -007. The term "representation" is also broadly defined to prohibit acting on behalf of any person in any activity. Examples of prohibited representation include: (1) personal appearances before the former governmental body or bodies; (2) attempts to influence; (3) submission of bid or contract proposals which are signed by or contain the name of the former public official /public employee; (4) participating in any matters before the former governmental body as to acting on behalf of a person; and (5) lobbying. Popovich, Opinion 89 -005. Listing one's name as the person who will provide technical assistance on a proposal, document, or bid, if submitted to or reviewed by the former governmental body, constitutes an attempt to influence the former governmental body. Section 1103 (g) also generally prohibits the inclusion of the name of a former public official/ public employee on invoices submitted by his new employer to the former governmental body, even if the invoices pertain to a contract that existed prior to termination of service with such governmental body. Shay, Opinion 91 -012. However, if such a pre- existing contract does not involve the unit where the former public employee worked, the name of the former public employee may appear on routine invoices if required by the regulations of the agency to which the billing is being submitted. Abrams/Webster, Opinion 95 -011. A former public official /public employee may assist in the preparation of any documents presented to his former governmental body. However, the former ublic official /public employee may not be identified on documents submitted to the former governmental body. The former public official /public employee may also counsel any person regarding that person's appearance before his former governmental body. Once again, however, the activity in this respect should not be revealed to the former governmental body. The Ethics Act would not prohibit or preclude making general informational inquiries to the former governmental body to secure information which is available to the general public, but this must not be done in an effort to indirectly Sesny, 08 -598 November 26, 2008 Page 4 influence the former governmental body or to otherwise make known to that body the representation of, or work for, the new employer. Section 1103(g) only restricts the former public official /public employee with regard to representation before his former governmental body. The former public official /public employee is not restricted as to representation before other agencies or entities. However, the "governmental body with which a public official /public employee is or has been associated" is not limited to the particular subdivision of the agency or other governmental body where the public official /public employee had influence or control but extends to the entire body. See, Legislative Journal of House, 1989 Session, No. 15 at 290, 291; Sirolli, Opinion 90 -006; Sharp, Opinion 90- 009 -R. The governmental body with which you are deemed to have been associated upon termination of public service is PennDOT in its entirety, including but not limited to the Bureau of Highway Safety and Traffic Engineering. Therefore, for the first year following termination of your service with PennDOT, Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would apply and restrict `representation" of "persons" before PennDOT. Having set forth the restrictions of Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act, you are advised that the Ethics Act would not prohibit you from accepting employment with the Consulting Firm or the Subcontractor. However, during the first year following the termination of your PennDOT employment, Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would prohibit you from performing any job duties that would involve prohibited representation before PennDOT as outlined above. You are advised that it would appear to be difficult, as a practical matter, for you to provide traffic engineering training and assistance for the Subcontractor for LTAP without running afoul of Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act, as LTAP is administered from PennDOT's Bureau of Planning and Research. Based upon the facts that have been submitted, this Advice has addressed the applicability of Section 1103(g) only. It is expressly assumed that there has been no use of authority of office for a private pecuniary benefit as prohibited by Section 1103(a) of the Ethics Act. Further, you are advised that Sections 1103(b) and 1103(c) of the Ethics Act provide in part that no person shall offer or give to a public official /public employee and no public official /public employee shall solicit or accept anything of monetary value based upon the understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment of the public official /public employee would be influenced thereby. Reference is made to these provisions of the law not to imply that there has been or will be any transgression thereof but merely to provide a complete response to the question presented. Lastly, the propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Act. Specifically not addressed herein is the applicability of the Governor's Code of Conduct. Conclusion: In the former capacity as a Civil Engineer Manager - Transportation for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation ( "PennDOT "), you would be considered a "public employee" subject to the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ("Ethics Act "), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et seq., and the Regulations of the State Ethics Commission, 51 Pa. Code § 11.1 et seq. Upon termination of service with PennDOT, you became a "former public employee subject to Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act. The former governmental body is PennDOT in its entirety, including but not limited to the Bureau of Highway Safety and Traffic Engineering. The restrictions as to representation outlined above must be followed. Lastly, the propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Act. Pursuant to Section 1107(11) of the Ethics Act, an Advice is a complete defense in any enforcement proceeding initiated by the Commission, and evidence of good faith Sesny, 08 -598 November 26, 2008 Page 5 conduct in any other civil or criminal proceeding, provided the requester has disclosed truthfully all the material facts and committed the acts complained of in reliance on the Advice given. This letter is a public record and will be made available as such. Finally, if you disagree with this Advice or if you have any reason to challenge same, you may appeal the Advice to the full Commission. A personal appearance before the Commission will be scheduled and a formal Opinion will be issued by the Commission. Any such appeal must be in writing and must be actually received at the Commission within thirty (30) days of the date of this Advice pursuant to 51 Pa. Code § 13.2(h). The appeal may be received at the Commission by hand delivery, United States mail, delivery service, or by FAX transmission (717 - 787 - 0806). Failure to file such an appeal at the Commission within thirty (30) days may result in the dismissal of the appeal. Sincerely, Robin M. Hittie Chief Counsel