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HomeMy WebLinkAbout18-573 PhillipsPHONE: 717 - 783 -1610 TOLL FREE: 1- 800 - 932 -0936 To the Requester: Mr. John B. Phillips Dear Mr. Phillips: ADVICE OF COUNSEL December 7, 2018 FACSIMILE: 717- 787 -0806 WEBSITE: www.ethics.pa.gov 18 -573 This responds to your letter dated October 31, 2018, by which you requested an advisory from the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission ( "Commission "). Issue: Whether the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ( "Ethics Act "), 65 T_a.G_.S. § 1101 et seq., would impose restrictions upon employment of a Human Resource Analyst 4 (General) following termination of employment with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pacts: You request an advisory from the Commission regarding the post - employment restrictions of the Ethics Act. You have submitted facts that may be fairly summarized as follows. You are a Human Resource Analyst 4 (General) for the General Government Human Resource Delivery Center under the Governor's office of Administration ( "Office of Administration "). You have submitted a copy of your official Commonwealth position description ( "Position Description "), which document is incorporated herein by reference. The Position Description lists your department as the Executive Offices of the Governor and your organization as the General Government Human Resource Delivery Center. A copy of the 'ob classification specifications for the position of Human Resource Analyst 4 (General {job code 0504A) has been obtained and is also incorporated herein by reference. Per the Position Description, you supervise the Training and Organizational Development Section within the General Government Human Resource Delivery Center, which provides human resource services to certain Commonwealth agencies. You state that staff from many Commonwealth agencies not served by the General Government Human Resource Delivery Center as well as staff from the Pennsylvania General Assembly attend your training classes. You plan to retire from your Commonwealth employment in January 2019 and work in the private sector as a consultant and training facilitator. You seek guidance as to whether the Ethics Act would impose prohibitions or restrictions upon you during the first year following termination of your Commonwealth employment. In particular, you pose the following questions: Phillips 18 -573 eD cember 7, 2018 Page 2 (1) Upon termination of your Commonwealth employment, what would be considered your former governmental body; and (2) Whether you would be permitted to do work for those particular Commonwealth agencies that are served by the General Government Human Resource Delivery Center, Commonwealth agencies that are not served by the General Government Human Resource Delivery Center, or the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Discussion: It is initial) noted that pursuant to Sections 1107(10) and 1107(11) of e Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. y§§ 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. As a Human Resource Analyst 4 (General) for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 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. This conclusion is based upon the Postion 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 Commonwealth employment, you would become a "former public employee" subject to Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act. While Section 1103(8) does not prohibit a former public official/public employee from accepting a position of employment, it does restrict the former public off iciallpublic 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 erson, 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 Philii ss, 18 -573 eD cember 7, 2018 Page 3 submittin% bid or contract proposals which are signed by or contain the name of a former public official or public employee. "Pearson." 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 iciaTFpu i1 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 actin on behalf of any person in any activity. Examples of prohibited representation inciude: (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 officiallpublic employee; (4) participating in any matters before the former ggovernmental 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 boy, constitutes an attempt to influence the former governmental body. Section (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. Sha , Opinion 91 -012. However, if such apre- 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. AbramsANebster, 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 11030 only restricts the former public official /public employee with regard to representation before his former governmental body. The former public Phillips, 18 -573 December 7, 2018 Page 4 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 90-00 Sharp, Opinion 90-009-R. Based upon the submitted facts, the governmental body with which you would be deemed to have been associated upon termination of your employment with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, hereinafter collectively referred to as "your former governmental body," would include: (1) the Executive Offices of the Governor; and (2) the Office of Administration in its entirety, including but not limited to the General Government Human Resource Delivery Center. Therefore, for the first year following termination of your Commonwealth employment, Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would apply and restrict "representation" of a "person" before your former governmental body as delineated above. Having set forth the restrictions of Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act, your specific questions shall now be considered. Your first question has been addressed above. In response to your second question, you are advised that Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would not prohibit you from working as a consultant and training facilitator, providing services to: (1) those particular Commonwealth agencies that are served by the General Government Human Resource Delivery Center; (2) Commonwealth agencies that are not served by the General Government Human Resource Delivery Center; or (3) the Pennsylvania General Assembly, subJ'ect to the condition that in performing such activity(ies), you would not engage in prohibited representation before your former governmental body as set forth above. 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 11 03(c) 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: As a Human Resource Analyst 4 (General) for the Commonwealth of ennsy vania, 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 sec.. Upon termination of your employment with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you would become a "former public employee" subject to Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act. Phillips, 18 -573 eD cember 7, 2018 Page 5 Based upon the submitted facts, the governmental body with which you would be deemed to have been associated upon termination of your employment with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, hereinafter collectively referred to as "your former T body," would include: (1) the Executive Offices of the Governor; and (2) the Governor's Office of Administration in its entirety, including but not limited to the General Government Human Resource Delivery Center. For the first yyear following termination of your Commonwealth employment, Section 1103(8) of Ethics Act would restrict "representation" of a "person" before your former governmental body. Section 1103(8 of the Ethics Act would not prohibit you from working as a consultant and training facilitator, providing services to: (1 )those particular Commonwealth agencies that are served by the General Government Human Resource Delivery Center; (2) Commonwealth agencies that are not served by the General Government Human Resource Delivery Center; or (3) the Pennsylvania General Assembly, sub'ect to the condition that in performing such activi%(ies), you would not engage in prohibited representation before your former governmental body as set forth above. 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 writingg and must be actuall received at the Commission within thirty (30) days of the dated s Advice pursuant to 59 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 Me such an appeal at the Commission within thirty (30) days may result in the dismissal of the appeal. Sincerely, Robin M. Hittie Chief Counsel