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HomeMy WebLinkAbout88-564 CiottaMr. Paul C. Ciotta Research Laboratories 727 Norristown Road Spring House, PA 19477 Dear Mr. Ciotta: STATE ETHICS COMMISSION 308 FINANCE BUILDING HARRISBURG, PA 17120 TELEPHONE: (717) 783 -1610 ADVICE OF COUNSEL May 26, 1988 88 -564 Re: Former Public Employee; Section 3(e), Department of Environmental Resources, Regional Community Relations Coordinator This responds to your letter of March 24, 1988, in which you requested advice from the State Ethics Commission. Issue: You ask whether the Ethics Act presents any restrictions upon your potential employment following your termination of service with the Department of Environmental Resources. Facts: In your advice request, you state that you were the Regional Community Relations Coordinator in the Norristown Office, hereinafter, Office, of the Department of Environmental Resources, hereinafter, DER. You then state that you have taken a position as Public Affairs Manager for Research at Rohm and Haas Company wherein your duties consist of serving as a public information source spokesperson and liaison for public, business and government officials. You then advise that you were not active in any decision making regarding the technical aspects of DER permits. In your job description /specification, which incorporated herein by reference, you, as community relations coordinator performed the following duties and responsibilities: serve as the focal point for the transmittal of DER information to the public; write releases and coordinate major media assignments; coordinate central office programs such as wild resources conservation fund and recycling month; serve as DER spokesperson coordinating press briefings, public hearings and meetings; establish and staff the regional roundtable; respond to information request; review and edit the regional Governor's Mr. Paul C. Ciotta May 26, 1988 Page 2 Weekly Report submission; serve as an aide to the Deputy Secretary when he visits the Office; develop and recommend policy and procedures at the state and regional level; assist various groups in the preparation of environmentally related reports; review and evaluate proposed federal and state legislation; develop and maintain a close working relationship with local legislators; coordinate media responses and perform such other miscellaneous duties as are required in your position. You conclude by requesting advice from the State Ethics Commission regarding the restrictions that would be imposed upon you for the year following your departure from governmental service. As a Community Relations Coordinator for DER, you are to be considered a "public official" within the definition of that term as set forth in the Ethics Act and the regulations of this Commission. 65 P.S. S402; 51 Pa. Code §1.1. This conclusion is based upon your job description, which when reviewed on an objective basis, indicates clearly that you have the power to take or recommend official action of a non - ministerial nature with respect to contracting, procurement, planning, inspecting or other activities where the economic impact is greater than de minimus on the interests of another person. Consequently, upon termination of this employment, you would become a "former public employee" subject to Section 3(e) of the Ethics Act. Section 3(e) of the Ethics Act provides that: Section 3. Restricted activities. (e) No former official or public employee shall represent a person, with or without compensation, on any matter before the governmental body with which he has been associated for one year after he leaves that body. 65 P.S. 5403. Initially, to answer your request it is necessary to identify the "governmental body" with which you were associated while working DER. Then, the scope of the prohibitions associated with the concept and term of "representation" must be reviewed. In this context, the Ethics Commission has previously ruled that the "governmental body" with which an individual may be deemed to have been associated during his tenure of public office or employment extends to those entities where he had influence, responsibility, supervision, or control. See Ewing, Opinion 79 -010. See also Kury v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, State Ethics Commission, 435 A.2d 940 (1981). Mr. Paul C. Ciotta May 26, 1988 Page 3 From the description and analysis of your duties and responsibilities and based upon the facts outlined above, your jurisdiction, responsibility, influence and control appears to have been the Office. Thus, the "governmental body" with which you have been "associated" upon the termination of your employment would be the Office. Therefore, within the first year after you would leave DER, Section 3(e) of the Ethics Act would apply and restrict your "representation" of persons or new employers vis -a -vis the Office. The Ethics Act would not affect your ability to appear before agencies or entities other than with respect to the Office. Likewise, there is no general limitation on the type of employment in which you may engage, following your departure from DER. Tt is noted, however, that the conflicts of interest law is primarily concerned with financial conflicts and violations of the public trust. The intent of the law generally is that during the term of a person's public employment he must act consistently with the public trust and upon departure from the public sector, that individual should not be allowed to utilize his association with the public sector, officials or employees to secure for himself or a new employer, treatment or benefits that may be obtainable only because of his association with his former public employer. See Anderson, Opinion 83 -014; Zwikl, Opinion 85 -004. In respect to the one year representation the Ethics Commission has promulgated regulations to define "representation" as follows: Section 1.1 Definitions. Representation - -- Any act on behalf of any person including but not limited to the following activities: personal appearances, negotiating contracts, lobbying, and submitting bid or contract proposals which are signed by or contain the name of the former public official or public employee. 51 Pa. Code S1.1. The Commission, in its opinions, has also interpreted the term "representation" as used in Section 3(e) of the Ethics Act to prohibit: 1. Personal appearances before the governmental body or bodies with which you have been associated, (that is the Office), including, but not limited to, negotiations or renegotiations on contracts with the Office; Mr. Paul C. Ciotta May 26, 1988 Page 4 2. Attempts to influence the Office; 3. Participating in any matters before the Office over which you had supervision, direct involvement, or responsibility while employed by DER; 4. Lobbying, that is representing the interests of any person or employer before the Office in relation to legislation, regulations, etc. See Russell, Opinion 80 -048 and Seltzer, Opinion 80 -044. The Commission has also held that preparing and signing a proposal, document or bid, or listing your name as the person who will provide technical assistance on such proposal, document, or bid, if submitted to or reviewed by the office, constitutes an attempt to influence your former governmental body. See Kilareski, Opinion 80 -054. Therefore, within the first year after you leave DER, you should not engage in the type of activity outlined above. The Commission, however, has stated that the inclusion of your name as an employee or consultant on a "pricing proposal," even if submitted to or reviewed by the office, is not prohibited as "representation." See Kotalik, Opinion 84 -007. You may, assist in the preparation of any documents presented to the Office so long as you are not identified as the preparer. You may also counsel any person regarding that person's appearance before the Office. Once again, however, your activity in this respect should not be revealed to the Office. Of course, any ban under the Ethics Act would not prohibit or preclude you from making general informational inquiries of the Office to secure information which is available to the general public. See Cutt, Opinion 79 -023. This, of course, must not be done in an effort to indirectly influence these entities or to otherwise make known to the Office your representation of, or work for your new employer. Finally, the Commission has concluded that if you are administering an existing contract as opposed to negotiating or renegotiating a contract, your activities would not be prohibited by the Ethics Act. See Dalton, Opinion 80 -056 and Beaser, Advice 81 -538. Section 3. Restricted Activities. (b) No person shall offer or give to a public official or public employee or candidate for public office or a member of his immediate family or a business with which he is associated, and no public official or public Mr. Paul C. Ciotta May 26, 1988 Page 5 employee or candidate for public office shall solicit or accept, anything of value, including a gift, loan, political contribution, reward, or promise of future employment based on any understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment of the public employee or candidate for public office would be influenced thereby. 65 P.S. 403(b). Section 3(b) of the Ethics Act must be referenced in order to provide a complete response to your inquiry. Under Section 3(b) of the Ethics Act cited above, which a public official or employee must observe, a public official or employee must neither offer nor accept anything of value on the understanding or with the intention that his judgment would be influenced thereby. It is assumed such a situation does not exist here. This Section is referenced not to indicate that any such activity has been or will be undertaken but in an effort to provide a complete response to your inquiry. 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. Conclusion: As a Community Relations Coordinator, you are to be considered a "public employee" as defined in the Ethics Act. Upon termination of your service with DER, you would become a "former public employee" subject to the restrictions imposed by Section 3(e) of the Ethics Act. As such, your conduct should conform to the requirements of the Ethics Act as outlined above. Your governmental body for the purpose of the one year representation restriction is the Office. Lastly, the propriety of your proposed conduct has only been addressed under the State Ethics Act. Further, should you terminate your employment or service, as outlined above, you are reminded that the Ethics Act also requires you to file a Statement of Financial Interests for the year following your termination of service. Pursuant to Section 7(9)(ii), 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, providing the requestor has disclosed truthfully all the material facts and committed the acts complained of in reliance on the Advice given. Mr. Paul C. Ciotta May 26, 1988 Page 6 such. This letter is a public record and will be made available as Finally, if you disagree with this Advice or if you have any reason to challenge same, you may request that the full Commission review this Advice. A personal appearance before the Commission will be scheduled and a former Opinion from the Commission will be issued. Any such appeal must be made, in writing, to the Commission within 15 days of service of this Advice pursuant to 51 Pa. Code §2.12. cerely, Vincent Dopko, General Counsel