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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> o`'o oui DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> J'''��o+ � rs19 <br /> ,�, .y LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> li��hb��"�>���„ P.O. BOX 4368 <br /> JD ' 4% <br /> c BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> °"R;o ,d' (225)219-5600 <br /> FAX (225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.state.Ia.us <br /> December 20, 2016 <br /> Patrick Henry Kiley <br /> 5960 Siegen Ln, Apt 6109 <br /> Baton Rouge, LA 70809 <br /> Re: Ethics Board Docket No. 2016-1050 <br /> Dear Mr. Kiley: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its December 16, 2016 meeting, considered your <br /> request for an advisory opinion, submitted on behalf of Washington National Insurance <br /> Company, regarding whether certain gifts would be considered promotional items. You <br /> provided the following background information for consideration in connection with your <br /> request: <br /> Washington National Insurance Company is a supplemental health insurance vendor <br /> approved through the Division of Administration's Office of Uniform Payroll. <br /> Representatives of Washington National Insurance Company offer gifts to individuals, <br /> including public servants, who attend a ten-minute presentation. The gifts include ear <br /> buds, pocket LED flashlights, reusable totes, stainless steel tumblers, umbrellas, and <br /> scented candles, each of which costs less than $5 and bears the company's logo. <br /> The Board concluded, and instructed me to inform you, that the Code of Governmental <br /> Ethics would not prohibit public servants from accepting the gifts described herein. La. <br /> R.S. 42:1115 prohibits a public servant from soliciting or accepting, directly or indirectly, <br /> any thing of economic value as a gift or gratuity from certain prohibited sources. <br /> However, La. R.S. 42:1102(22) defines a "thing of economic value" to mean money or <br /> any other thing having economic value, except promotional items having no substantial <br /> resale value. Since each of the gifts offered by representatives of Washington National <br /> Insurance Company costs less than $5 and bears the company's logo, they would be <br /> classified as promotional items under La. R.S. 42:1102(22). Therefore, it would not <br /> present a violation of La. R.S. 42:1115 if a public servant accepts any of the gifts <br /> described herein. <br /> This advisory opinion is based solely on the facts as set forth herein. Changes to the facts <br /> as presented may result in a different application of the provisions of the Code of <br /> Governmental Ethics. The Board issues no opinion as to past conduct or as to laws other <br /> than the Code of Governmental Ethics, the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act, the <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />