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HomeMy WebLinkAbout00-591 DashUmakant Dash 2890 Sunset Drive Camp Hill, PA 17011 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 July 12, 2000 Re: Former Public Employee; Section 1103(g); Civil Engineer; Federal Highway Administration; PennDOT. Dear Mr. Dash: This responds to your fax transmissions of June 14, 2000 and June 27, 2000, by which you requested advice from the State Ethics Commission. Issue: Whether the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ( "Ethics Act "), 65 Pa.C.S. §1101 et seq., presents any restrictions upon employment of a Civil Engineer following termination of service with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation ( "PennDOT "). Facts: In your request for an advisory from the State Ethics Commission dated June 14, 2000, you state that you are considering retiring from your position of Civil Engineer classified as a Civil Engineer Consultant (Bridge) with PennDOT and accepting a position with the Federal Highway Administration ( "FHWA "). Attached to this request is a copy of your PennDOT job description which is incorporated herein by reference. Specifically, you seek an advisory as to whether working for the FHWA after you terminate employment with PennDOT will create a conflict of interest. You further inquire as to the time limit the Ethics Act imposes on you, as a FHWA employee, with regard to conducting business with the state. You then submitted a supplement to your request dated June 27, 2000. The supplemental letter contains a memorandum from John J. Robinson Jr., Assistant Chief Counsel for PennDOT, concerning your potential employment with the FHWA. After referencing the Ethics Act, Mr. Robinson states: The FHWA prescribes policies, requirements, and procedures relating to Federal -aid highway projects to implement and carry out the f provisions of the Federal law relating to the administration of Federal -aid or highways. The FHWA assures that Federal -aid funds shall not participate in any costs which is not incurred in conformity with applicable Federal and State law. If the FHWA determines that a State has violated or failed to comply with Federal laws or regulations with respect to a project, funds are withheld. Memorandum. June 27, 2000. FAX: (717) 787 -0806 • Web Site: www.ethics.state.pa.us • e -mail: ethics @state.pa.us 00 -591 Dash, 00 -591 July 2000 Page 2 Mr. Robinson analyzes your contemplated job functions relative to FHWA and PennDOT and then concludes that you will not be representing FHWA as that term is defined in the Ethics Act. 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 requestor based upon the facts which the requestor has submitted. In issuing the advisory based upon the facts which the requestor has submitted, the Commission does not engage in an independent investigation of the facts, nor does it speculate as to facts which have not been submitted. It is the burden of the requestor 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 requestor has truthfully disclosed all of the material facts. As a Civil Engineer for PennDOT, 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 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 he interests of another person. Consequently, upon termination of public service, you would become 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 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. Dash, 00 -591 July 12, 2000 Page 3 "Governmental body with which a public official or public employee is or has been associated." The governmental body within State i overnment 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 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 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 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 ublic 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 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 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 Joumal of House, 1989 Session, No. 15 at 290, 291; Sirolli, Opinion No. 90 -006; Sharp, Opinion 90- 009 -R. The governmental body with which you would be associated upon termination of public service is PennDOT in its entirety. Therefore, for the first year after termination of Dash 00 -591 TTy 12, 2000 Page 4 your service with PennDOT, Section 1103()) of the Ethics Act would apply and restrict representation" of "persons" before PennDOT. As noted above, Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act does not prohibit your employment with the FHWA. However, you may not engage in activities for the FHWA as to PennDOT which would constitute prohibitive representation as delineated above. Having set forth the restrictions of Section 1103(g), an additional point should be noted. The restrictions of Section 1103(g) apply as to representation before the former govemmental body, which in this case, is PennDOT as noted above. Thus, if your new employer, the Federal Highway Administration, would have matters pending before PennDOT, the restrictions of Section 1103(g) would apply to restrict ou as to such matters. However, to the extent PennDOT would have matters pending before the Federal Highway Administration which would not involve representation before PennDOT, the restrictions of Section 1103(g) would not apply to restrict you as to such matters. Based upon the facts which 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 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 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 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 Civil Engineer for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation ( "PennDOT "), you would be considered a 'public employee" subject to the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §1101 et seq. ( "Ethics Act "). Upon termination of service with PennDOT, you would become a "former public employee" subject to Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act. The former governmental body is PennDOT in its entirety. The restrictions of Section 1103(g) apply as to representation before the former govemmental body, which in this case, is PennDOT as noted above. Thus, if your new employer, the Federal Highway Administration, would have matters pending before PennDOT, the restrictions of Section 1103(g) would apply to restrict you as to such matters. However, to the extent PennDOT would have matters pending before the Federal Highway which would not involve representation before PennDOT, the restrictions of Section 1103(g) would not apply to restrict you as to such matters. The restrictions as to representation outlined above must be followed. The propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Act. Further, should service be terminated, as outlined above, the Ethics Act 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 1107(11), 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 requestor has disclosed Dash, 00 -591 July 2000 Page 5 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( 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. erely, Vincent .1. Dopko Chief Counsel