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,m• <br /> STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> ♦♦♦, pF DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> '`°" ' LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> �G Jlry <br /> im ._ •: P.O. BOX 4368 <br /> :41.1 BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> •vsioe ♦p♦ (225)219-5600 <br /> .,,,,,,''♦♦ FAX (225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.la.gov <br /> December 26, 2019 <br /> Debbie Villio <br /> LeBlanc Fantaci Villio LLC <br /> 3421 N. Causeway Boulevard, Suite 201 <br /> Metairie, Louisiana 70002 <br /> Re: Louisiana Board of Ethics <br /> Docket No. 2019-889 <br /> Dear Ms. Villio, <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its meeting on December 20, 2019, considered your <br /> request for an advisory opinion as to whether the Code of Governmental Ethics ("Code") <br /> would prohibit you or your law firm, LeBlanc Fantaci Villio, LLC, from providing legal <br /> services to the State of Louisiana through an agreement with the Louisiana Attorney <br /> General's Office. <br /> FACTS PROVIDED <br /> You are currently a partner with the law firm of LeBlanc Fantaci Villio, LLC. You have a <br /> 51% ownership interest in the firm. On August 6, 2019, you became a candidate for State <br /> Representative — District 79. You were unopposed and will assume office at noon on <br /> January 13, 2020. <br /> Prior to becoming a candidate for State Representative, on June 28, 2019, you entered into <br /> a professional services agreement with the Louisiana Attorney General to represent a state <br /> employee. You ask whether you or your law firm's continued representation of the State of <br /> Louisiana in the matter will be prohibited once you assume office as State Representative. <br /> LAW <br /> Generally, La. R.S. 42:1113D(1) provides that no legislator or their spouse, nor any legal <br /> entity of such person, shall enter into any contract with state government. La. R.S. <br /> 42:1113D(1)(a)(iii) defines "legal entity of [such] person" to mean any corporation, <br /> partnership, or other legal entity in which a legislator or their spouse, owns an interest of <br /> greater than 5%. <br /> However, La. R.S. 42:1113D(2)(d)provides that the provisions of Section 1113D shall not <br /> prohibit the completion of any contract which, at the time it was entered into, was not <br /> Page 1 of 2 (Docket No. 2019-889) <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />