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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> t DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> gr4s'°9� LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> m'�(in v� P.O.BOX 4368 <br /> ,v; �• BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> ` Prof"` # (225)219-5600 <br /> wm ,,o <br /> �" FAX:(225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.la.gov <br /> December 18,2017 <br /> Rennetta K. Wells <br /> Department of Children &Family Services <br /> 627 North 4th Street <br /> Baton Rouge,LA 70802 <br /> Re: Ethics Board Docket No.2017-1236 <br /> Dear Ms. Wells: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its December 15, 2017, meeting, considered your request for an <br /> advisory opinion regarding the receipt of donations which would be utilized as door prizes during the <br /> Annual Training Conference hosted by the Louisiana Support Enforcement Association(LSEA). You <br /> stated that you are employed with the Department of Children & Family Services, Child Support <br /> Enforcement (CSE), which is responsible for providing support enforcement services in Louisiana, <br /> and also serve as the presiding President of LSEA, a non-profit organization whose goal is to educate, <br /> improve, and fulfill the mission of establishment, modification and enforcement of child and medical <br /> support orders in the State of Louisiana.You also stated that several CSE vendors set up booths at the <br /> Annual Training Conference hosted by LSEA. Finally, you stated that LSEA is interested in handing <br /> out door prizes,with the winners being determined through a random drawing. <br /> With respect to each of the following questions you asked,the Board concluded and instructed me to <br /> inform you the following: <br /> (1) Is it permissible for a public servant who is a LSEA board member to solicit donations <br /> for door prizes from a person, if the person has no financial relationship with LSEA or <br /> the public servant's agency?If so,what type of donations? <br /> The Board concluded, and instructed me to inform you, that the Code of Governmental Ethics would not <br /> prohibit a public servant who is a LSEA board member from soliciting any type of donation for door <br /> prizes from a person,provided that the person donating the prize is not a prohibited source.As set forth in <br /> La. R.S. 42:1115 below, prohibited sources are those persons (1) who have or is seeking to obtain a <br /> contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant's agency; (2)who conduct <br /> operations or activities which are regulated by the public employee's agency; and (3) who have a <br /> substantial economic interest which may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance <br /> of the public employee's office duty. <br /> La. R.S. 42:1115A(1) provides that no public servant shall solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, <br /> anything of economic value as a gift or gratuity from any person or from any officer, director, agent, or <br /> employee of such person, if such public servant knows or reasonably should know that such person has or <br /> is seeking to have a business, financial or contractual relationship with the public servant's agency. La. <br /> R.S. 42:1115B(I) prohibits a public servant from soliciting or accepting, directly or indirectly, any thing <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />