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Home My WebLink About11-567 Greathouse ADVICE OF COUNSEL December 14, 2011 Lynette Greathouse 1120 German Hill Road Tionesta, PA 16353 11-567 Dear Ms. Greathouse: This responds to your letter dated November 9, 2011, 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.C.S. § 1101 et seq., would impose any prohibitions or restrictions upon an individual recently elected to serve as a jury commissioner in an eighth class county with regard to simultaneously serving as the chief clerk of the county commissioners and a county jury commissioner. Facts: You request an advisory from the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission based upon submitted facts that may be fairly summarized as follows. You were recently elected to serve a term as a Forest County (“County”) Jury Commissioner. You are currently employed as an administrative assistant with the County Sheriff’s Office. You state that you are interested in applying for a new position as the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners. The duties of the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners include assisting with the election process. Based upon the above submitted facts, you pose the following questions: (1) Whether, pursuant to the Ethics Act, you would be permitted to simultaneously serve as the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners and a County Jury Commissioner; and (2) If so, whether you would be permitted to run again for the position of County Jury Commissioner as long as in that year, you would not assist with the election process as the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners. 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 Greathouse, 11-567 December 14, 2011 Page 2 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. If you would be appointed as the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners, you would in that capacity be a public official subject to the Ethics Act. See, Myers, Advice 95- 611; 65 Pa.C.S. § 1102; 16 P.S. §§ 420, 520. Sections 1103(a) and 1103(j) of the Ethics Act provide: § 1103. Restricted activities (a)Conflict of interest.— No public official or public employee shall engage in conduct that constitutes a conflict of interest. (j)Voting conflict.— Where voting conflicts are not otherwise addressed by the Constitution of Pennsylvania or by any law, rule, regulation, order or ordinance, the following procedure shall be employed. Any public official or public employee who in the discharge of his official duties would be required to vote on a matter that would result in a conflict of interest shall abstain from voting and, prior to the vote being taken, publicly announce and disclose the nature of his interest as a public record in a written memorandum filed with the person responsible for recording the minutes of the meeting at which the vote is taken, provided that whenever a governing body would be unable to take any action on a matter before it because the number of members of the body required to abstain from voting under the provisions of this section makes the majority or other legally required vote of approval unattainable, then such members shall be permitted to vote if disclosures are made as otherwise provided herein. In the case of a three-member governing body of a political subdivision, where one member has abstained from voting as a result of a conflict of interest and the remaining two members of the governing body have cast opposing votes, the member who has abstained shall be permitted to vote to break the tie vote if disclosure is made as otherwise provided herein. 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 1103(a), (j). The following terms pertaining to conflicts of interest under the Ethics Act are defined as follows: § 1102. Definitions "Conflict” or “conflict of interest." Use by a public official or public employee of the authority of his office or employment or any confidential information received through his holding public office or employment for the private pecuniary benefit of himself, a member of his immediate family or a business with which he or a member of his immediate family is associated. The term does not include an action having a de minimis economic impact or which affects to the same degree a class consisting of the general public or a Greathouse, 11-567 December 14, 2011 Page 3 subclass consisting of an industry, occupation or other group which includes the public official or public employee, a member of his immediate family or a business with which he or a member of his immediate family is associated. "Authority of office or employment." The actual power provided by law, the exercise of which is necessary to the performance of duties and responsibilities unique to a particular public office or position of public employment. 65 Pa.C.S. § 1102. Pursuant to Section 1103(a) of the Ethics Act, a public official/public employee is prohibited from using the authority of public office/employment or confidential information received by holding such a public position for the private pecuniary benefit of the public official/public employee himself, any member of his immediate family, or a business with which he or a member of his immediate family is associated. The use of authority of office is not limited merely to voting, but extends to any use of authority of office including, but not limited to, discussing, conferring with others, and lobbying for a particular result. Juliante, Order 809. Subject to certain statutory exceptions, in each instance of a voting conflict, Section 1103(j) of the Ethics Act requires the public official/public employee to abstain and to publicly disclose the abstention and reasons for same, both orally and by filing a written memorandum to that effect with the person recording the minutes. In applying the above provisions of the Ethics Act to the question of simultaneous service, it is initially noted that the General Assembly has the constitutional power to declare by law which offices are incompatible. Pa. Const. Art. 6, § 2. There does not appear to be any statutorily-declared incompatibility precluding simultaneous service as the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners and a County Jury Commissioner. Turning to the question of conflict of interest, where simultaneous service would place the public official/public employee in a continual state of conflict, such as where in one position he would be accounting to himself in another position on a continual basis, there would be an inherent conflict. (See, McCain, Opinion 02-009). Where an inherent conflict would exist, it would appear to be impossible, as a practical matter, for the public official/public employee to function in the conflicting positions without running afoul of Section 1103(a) of the Ethics Act. Absent a statutorily-declared incompatibility or an inherent conflict under Section 1103(a), the Ethics Act would not preclude an individual from simultaneously serving in more than one position. However, in each instance of a conflict of interest, the individual would be required to abstain, and in each instance of a voting conflict, to abstain and satisfy the disclosure requirements of Section 1103(j) as set forth above. In this case, based upon the facts which have been submitted, there does not appear to be an inherent conflict that would preclude simultaneous service as the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners and a County Jury Commissioner. Consequently, such simultaneous service would be permitted within the parameters of Sections 1103(a) and 1103(j) of the Ethics Act and expressly conditioned upon your performing the duties of both positions without an overlap of time. If you would be required to work or serve particular hours in either position, then pursuant to Section 1103(a) of the Ethics Act, you could not perform the duties of the other position during those same hours. Cf., Bornstein, Order 1463; Quinn, Advice 11-528; Confidential Advice, 10-602; Laub, Advice 06-519. Greathouse, 11-567 December 14, 2011 Page 4 In response to your question of whether you would be permitted to run again for the position of County Jury Commissioner if, as the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners, you would not assist with the election process that year, you are advised that the Ethics Act would not prohibit you from seeking reelection as a County Jury Commissioner while serving as the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners subject to the condition that you would not use the use of authority of public office/public employment or confidential information received as a result of holding public office or employment in furtherance of your reelection. Lastly, the propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Act. Conclusion: If you would be appointed as the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners for Forest County (“County”), you would in that capacity be a public official subject to the provisions of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ("Ethics Act"), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et seq . Subject to the restrictions, conditions and qualifications set forth above, you may, consistent with Section 1103(a) of the Ethics Act, simultaneously serve as the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners and a County Jury Commissioner. If you would be required to work or serve particular hours in either position, then pursuant to Section 1103(a) of the Ethics Act, you could not perform the duties of the other position during those same hours. In response to your question of whether you would be permitted to run again for the position of County Jury Commissioner if, as the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners, you would not assist with the election process that year, you are advised that the Ethics Act would not prohibit you from seeking reelection as a County Jury Commissioner while serving as the Chief Clerk of the County Commissioners subject to the condition that you would not use the authority of public office/public employment or confidential information received as a result of holding public office or employment in furtherance of your reelection. Lastly, the propriety of the proposed course of conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Act. Pursuant to Section 1107(11) of the Ethics Act, this Advice is a complete defense in any enforcement proceeding initiated by the Commission, and evidence of good faith 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, Greathouse, 11-567 December 14, 2011 Page 5 Robin M. Hittie Chief Counsel