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HomeMy WebLinkAbout17-545 Confidentialb STATE ETHICS COMMISSION 309 FINANCE BUILDING P.O. BOX 11470 HARRISBURG, PA 1 71 08 -1 470 (717) 783 -1610 1- 800 - 932 -0936 ADVICE OF COUNSEL August 1, 2017 To the Requester: 17 -545 This responds to your letter dated May 21, 2017, by which You requested a confidential advisory from the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission (`Commission "). Issue: Whether the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ( "Ethics Act "), 65 Pa. -S. § 1'101 et sec., would impose restrictions upon employment of an A following termination of employment with Commonwealth Department B. Facts: You request a confidential advisory from the Commission regarding the ost- employment restrictions of the Ethics Act. You have submitted facts that may be airly summarized as follows. On [date] , U you retired from your employment as an A with Commonwealth Department B in C, in which capacity you served as the D. You have submitted copies of your official Commonwealth position description, the job classification specifications for the position of A (job code [number]), and an organizational chart for Unit C, which documents are incorporated herein by reference. You state that in your former Commonwealth position: your . our Job duties were specific to the [number] Es covered by Unit C. Your job duties included, inter alia, [certain duties]. You state that you recently joined a [type of firm] ( "the Firm ") that provides [type of services to numerous clients, including Commonwealth Department B. You currently serve in a type of role] with the Firm, which involves reviewing documents and plans and providing technical assistance on various projects for clients. You state that you will not have any direct contact with Commonwealth Department B officials via meetings, telephone, written documentation, email, or social media. You further state that you will not be named as a technical contact person and that your name will not appear on any documents or work product. You seek guidance as to whether the Ethics Act would impose prohibitions or restrictions upon you during the first year following termination of your employment with Commonwealth Department B. In particular, you pose the following specific questions: (1) Whether you would be permitted to perform work for the Firm on Commonwealth Department B contracts -- excluding work associated with Unit C - -in a "non- representative role "; FAX: (717) 787 -0806 • Web Site: www.ethics.state.pa.us • e -mail: ethics@state.pa.us Confidential Advice, 17 -545 August 1, 2017 Page 2 (2) For purposes of applying the Commission's holding in Abrams/Webster, Opinion 95 -011 pertaining to invoices), whether Unit C would be considered the "unit" where you worked at Commonwealth Department B; and (3) Whether your name could appear on invoices submitted to Commonwealth Department B by the Firm for work that you would perform on pre - existing contracts with Commonwealth Department B that would not involve Unit C. 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. §§ 11070 O0 , (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 an A for Commonwealth Department B, 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; cite]. This conclusion is based upon tke 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 your employment with Commonwealth Department B, 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 erso_n, 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 Confidential Advice, 17 -545 August 1, 2017 Page 3 "Represent. " To act on behalf of any other person in an activity which includes, but is not limited to, the follyowing: 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 off iciallpublic employee himself, Confidential Opinion, 93005, as well as a new governmental employer. Ledebur, pinion 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. 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(8) 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 byy 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 Confidential Advice, 17-545 August 1, 2017 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(8) only restricts the former public official /public employee with regard to representation before his former governmental body. The former public officiallpublic 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 your employment with Commonwealth Department B is Commonwealth Department, B in its entirety, including but not limited to Unit C. Therefore, for the first year following termination of your employment with Commonwealth Department B, Section 1103(8) of the Ethics Act would apply and restrict "representation of.a person before Commonwealth Department B. Having set forth the restrictions of Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act, your specific questions shall now be addressed. In response to your first question, you are advised that Section 1103(8) of the Ethics Act would prohibit you from performing work for the Firm on Commonwealth Department B contracts- -even if such work would not involve Unit C-- unless you would be able to do so without engaging in prohibited representation befor- - mmonwealth Department B as set forth above. In response to your second and third questions, you are advised as follows. For purposes of applying the Commission's holding in AbramsMlebster, supra, the "unit" where you worked would be Unit C. During the one -year period of applicability of Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act, as a general rule, your name could not be listed on invoices submitted to Commonwealth Department B by the Firm. However, if you would perform work for the Firm on Commonwealth Department B contracts that existed before you terminated your employment with Commonwealth Department B, and if such contracts would not involve the "unit" of Commonwealth Department B ww ere you worked, specifically Unit C, your name could appear on routine invoices submitted to Commonwealth Department B as to those particular pre- existing contracts if required by the regulations of Commonwealth Department B See, AbramslWebster, supra. However, the foregoing is limited to the submission of billing hours, Section 1103(8) of the Ethics Act would still prohibit you from engaging in conduct falling within the ambit of prohibited representation before Commonwealth Department B as delineated above. Based upon the facts that have been submitted, this Advice has addressed the applicability of Section 1103(8) 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 thics 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 officiallpublic 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. Confidential Advice, 17 -545 August 1, 2017 Page 5 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 F. Conclusion: In the former capacity as an A for Commonwealth Department B, you would be considered a "public employee" subject to the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ( "Ethics Act "), 65 Pa.C. . § 1101 et se , and the Re .2ulations of the State Ethics Commission, 51 Pa. Code § 11.'1 et se�c�pon termination of your employment with Commonwealth Department B, you became a "former public employee" subject to Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act. The former 9.overnmental body is Commonwealth Department B in its entirety, including but not limited to Unit C. For the first year following termination of your employment with Commonwealth Department B, Section 1103) of the Ethics Act would apply and restrict "representation" of a "person" before ommonwealth Department B. 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 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 actuall 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, obin . Hittie J Chief Counsel