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HomeMy WebLinkAbout13-567 Leight ADVICE OF COUNSEL October 11, 2013 Howard W. Leight 107 Cherry Blossom Drive Churchville, PA 18966 13-567 Dear Mr. Leight: This responds to your letters dated August 13, 2013, and August 22, 2013, 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 restrictions upon an individual who, following retirement from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, has provided services to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (“Department of Education”) as an annuitant under the 95-day “return to state service” provision at 71 Pa.C.S. § 5706(A.1), with regard to performing services for the Department of Education as an independent contractor. 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 May 7, 2011, you retired from your employment as a Career and Technical Education Advisor 1 with the Department of Education. From October 2012 through May 2013, you returned to work with the Department of Education as an annuitant under the 95-day “return to state service” provision at 71 Pa.C.S. § 5706(A.1) (“the 95- day Annuitant Program”), in a position which shall hereinafter be referred to as “Annuitant Position.” You have submitted a copy of an official position description (“the Annuitant Position Description”) for the Annuitant Position, which document is incorporated herein by reference. It is administratively noted that the Annuitant Position Description lists a working title of “Business Education Advisor” for the Annuitant Position. In the Annuitant Position, you provided services to the Bureau of Career and Technical Education (“Bureau”) within the Department of Education. You state that the Bureau would like you to do occasional work for it as an independent contractor during the 2013-2014 school year. Such work would involve reviewing programs in various Career and Technical Education Centers in Pennsylvania with regard to their compliance with state law. The Department of Education would pay you for your work. Leight, 13-567 October 11, 2013 Page 2 Based upon the above submitted facts, you seek guidance as to whether the Ethics Act would impose restrictions upon you with regard to performing services for the Department of Education as an independent contractor. 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. It is clear that when an individual who has retired from Commonwealth employment returns to Commonwealth service as an annuitant to perform services falling within the Ethics Act’s definition of “public employee” (see, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1102), the individual becomes a “public employee” subject to the Ethics Act. See, Graves, Opinion 00-009; McGlathery, Opinion 00-004. Based upon the duties and authority set forth in the Annuitant Position Description, the necessary conclusion is that when you commenced providing services to the Department of Education in the Annuitant Position in October 2012, you became 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; Graves, supra; McGlathery, supra. Consequently, when you ceased providing such services as an annuitant in May 2013, you became a "former public employee" subject to Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act. Section 1103(g) restricts 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: § 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. Leight, 13-567 October 11, 2013 Page 3 "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 official/public employee himself, Confidential Opinion, 93-005, as well as a new governmental employer. Ledebur, Opinion 95-007. The term “represent” 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. Generally, a former “public official” or former “public employee” may not contract with his former governmental body during the first year following termination of public service, because such contracting would constitute prohibited representation before the former governmental body in contravention of Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act. See, Shaub, Order 1242; Confidential Opinion, 97-008; Confidential Opinion, 93-005. Additionally, 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 a 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 public 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 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 Leight, 13-567 October 11, 2013 Page 4 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. Under the facts that you have submitted, when you ceased providing services to the Department of Education as an annuitant in May 2013, you became a “former public employee” subject to Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act, and the one-year period of applicability of Section 1103(g) commenced. The governmental body with which you are deemed to have been associated upon termination of the aforesaid service is the Department of Education in its entirety. Therefore, until the expiration of a full one-year period following termination of your service as an annuitant with the Department of Education in May 2013, or until you would resume providing services to the Department of Education under the 95-day Annuitant Program in a position falling within the Ethics Act’s definition of “public employee,” whichever would come first, Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would apply and restrict “representation” of a “person” before the Department of Education. When Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would be applicable to you, Section 1103(g) would prohibit you from contracting to perform services for the Department of Education, including but not limited to the Bureau. Cf., Shaub, supra; Confidential Opinion, 97-008; Confidential Opinion, 93-005. Such contracting would necessarily involve prohibited representation before your former governmental body (for example, through personal appearances before your former governmental body or the submission of written documents containing your name to your former governmental body). 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 or employment, or confidential information received by being in the public position, 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; the applicability of any other statute, code, ordinance, regulation, or other code of conduct other than the Ethics Act has not been considered in that they do not involve an interpretation of the Ethics Act. Specifically not addressed herein is the applicability of the Governor’s Code of Conduct. Conclusion: In October 2012, when you commenced providing services to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (“Department of Education”) as an annuitant under the 95-day “return to state service” provision at 71 Pa.C.S. § 5706(A.1) (“the 95- day Annuitant Program”) in a position with a working title of “Business Education Advisor,” you became 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. When you ceased providing such services to the Department of Education as an annuitant in May 2013, you became a "former public employee" subject to Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act. The governmental body with which you are deemed to have been associated upon termination of the aforesaid service is the Department of Education in its entirety. Until the expiration of a full one-year period following termination of your service as an Leight, 13-567 October 11, 2013 Page 5 annuitant with the Department of Education in May 2013, or until you would resume providing services to the Department of Education under the 95-day Annuitant Program in a position falling within the Ethics Act’s definition of “public employee,” whichever would come first, Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would apply and restrict “representation” of a “person” before the Department of Education. The restrictions as to representation outlined above must be followed. When Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would be applicable to you, Section 1103(g) would prohibit you from contracting to perform services for the Department of Education, including but not limited to the Bureau of Career and Technical Education. The proprietyof 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 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