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HomeMy WebLinkAbout97-620 RollasonCharles L. Rollason, Jr. 2103 Circle Road Carlisle, PA 17103 Dear Mr. Rollason: STATE ETHICS COMMISSION 309 FINANCE BUILDING P.O. BOX 11470 HARRISBURG, PA 1 71 08 -1 470 TELEPHONE (717) 783 -1610 ADVICE OF COUNSEL October 22, 1997 97 -620 Re: Former Public Employee; Section 3(g); Department of Public Welfare, Office of Children, Youth and Families; Regional Director of Children and Youth Services. This responds to your letter of September 24, 1997 by which you requested advice from the State Ethics Commission. Issue: Whether the Public Official and Employee Ethics Law presents any restrictions upon employment of the Regional Director of Children and Youth Services following termination of service with the the Department of Public Welfare, Office of Children, Youth and Families. Facts: You recently retired as the Regional Director of Children and Youth Services, Office of Children, Youth and Families in the Department of Public Welfare (DPW). In that position, you were responsible for the management of the office which provided state oversight and supervision to all applicable children and youth agencies and facilities in the central region of the state. Among the agencies which come under state oversight are county children and youth agencies. You state that the legal basis for DPW's responsibilities with the counties is Article VII and IX of the Public Welfare Code which, aside from a number of state and federal statutes which are applicable in children and youth, defines the responsibilities and relationships between the state and supervised agencies. You have been approached about the possibility of providing consultation services to Cumberland County Children and Youth Agency. Your proposed consultation would occur under the auspices of AGAPE Associates which is an affiliation of professional social workers. AGAPE presented a consultation proposal to Cumberland County Children and Youth in August, 1997, which proposal was recently accepted by that agency. You submitted a copy of that proposal which is incorporated herein by reference. Under that proposal, you would provide consultation around judicial reviews and consultation on managed care. Your total hours of consultation would average 6 to 8 hours per week. Rollason, 97 -620 October 22, 1997 Page 2 You request an advisory from this Commission as to whether there is any prohibition or restrictions under the Ethics Law as to this proposed consulting contract. Discussion: In the former capacity as the Regional Director of Children and Youth Services, Office of Children, Youth and Families in DPW, you would be considered a "public employee" subject to the Public Official and Employee Ethics Law ( "Ethics Law ") and the Regulations of the State Ethics Commission. See, 65 P.S. §402; 51 Pa.Code §11.1. This conclusion is based upon the job description, which when reviewed on an objective basis, indicates 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; planning; inspecting; administering or monitoring grants; leasing; regulating; auditing; or other activities where the economic impact is greater than de minimis on the interests of another person. Consequently, upon termination of public service, you became a "former public employee" subject to Section 3(g) of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Law. While Section 3(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 ": Section 3. Restricted activities. (g) 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 P.S. §403(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 Law as follows: Section 2. 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. "Governmental body with which a public official or public employee is or has been associated." The governmental body within State government or a political Rollason, 97 -620 October 22, 1997 Page 3 65 P.S. §402. 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. The term "Person" is very broadly defined. It includes the former public employee himself, Confidential Opinion 93 -005, as well as a new governmental employer. Ledebur, Opinion 95-007. The term "representation" 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 /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 3(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 though the invoices pertain to a contract that existed prior to termination of public service, Shay, Opinion 91 -012. However, if such a pre- existing contract does not involve the unit where the 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 public official /public employee may not be identified on documents submitted to the former governmental body. The 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 Law 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 3(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 been associated" is not limited to the particular subdivision of the agency or other governmental body where the public official /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 No. 90 -006; Sharp, Opinion 90- 009 -R. Rollason, 97 -620 October 22, 1997 Page 4 The governmental body with which you were associated upon termination of public service is DPW in its entirety, including but not limited to the Office of Children, Youth and Families. Therefore, for the first year after termination of your service with DPW, Section 3(g) of the Ethics Law would apply and restrict "representation" of "persons" before DPW. The applicability of Section 3(g) of the Ethics Law to your employment situation turns upon whether the Cumberland County Children and Youth Agency (Agency) is part of the County or DPW. If the Agency is not part of DPW, your former governmental body, then Section 3(g) of the Ethics Law would not restrict your representation of AGAPE before that Agency. However, if the Agency is part of DPW, then the restrictions of Section 3(g) noted above would apply and would prohibit your representation of AGAPE before the Agency as part of DPW. Based upon the facts which have been submitted, this Advice has addressed the applicability of Section 3(g) only. It is expressly assumed that there has been no use of authority of office for a private pecuniary benefit as prohibited by Section 3(a) of the Ethics Law. Further, you are advised that Sections 3(b) and 3(c) of the Ethics Law provide in part that no person shall offer to a public official /employee and no public official /employee shall solicit or accept anything of monetary value based upon the understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment of the public official /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 Law; 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 Law. Conclusion: In the former capacity as the Regional Director of Children and Youth Services, Office of Children, Youth and Families in the Department of Public Welfare (DPW), you would be considered a "public employee" as defined in the Ethics Law. Upon termination of service with DPW, you became a "former public employee" subject to Section 3(g) of the Ethics Law. The former governmental body is DPW in its entirety, including but not limited to the Office of Children, Youth and Families. The restrictions as to representation outlined above must be followed. The propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Law. Further, should service be terminated, as outlined above, the Ethics Law would require that a Statement of Financial Interests be filed by no later than May 1 of the year after termination of service. Pursuant to Section 7(11), 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. This letter is a public record and will be made available as such. Rollason, 97 -620 October 22, 1997 Page 5 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, de / /very 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 cerely, Vincent J. opko Chief Counsel