Advisory Opinion Requests
AOR-459.
The Texas Ethics Commission has
been asked whether a legislative employee may accept a grant to conduct research
in conjunction with the legislative employee's enrollment, on personal time,
in a graduate studies program.
AOR-460.
The Texas Ethics Commission has
been asked whether a former elected county officeholder may use surplus political
contributions to make a donation to a county appraisal district.
AOR-461.
The Texas Ethics Commission has
been asked to consider several questions about the application of the campaign
finance laws to a district judge who is running for justice of a court of
appeals. One question is whether the judge may use funds raised in connection
with a 1998 campaign for district judge in his current campaign for justice
of a court of appeals. The other question is whether the district judge must
file reports of contributions and expenditures with both the county filing
authority and the Texas Ethics Commission.
The Texas Ethics Commission is authorized by section 571.091 of the Government
Code to issue advisory opinions in regard to the following statutes: (1) Chapter
572, Government Code; (2) Chapter 302, Government Code; (3) Chapter 303, Government
Code; (4) Chapter 305, Government Code; (5) Chapter 2004, Government Code;
(6) Title 15, Election Code; (7) Chapter 36, Penal Code; and (8) Chapter 39,
Penal Code.
Questions on particular submissions should be addressed to the Texas Ethics
Commission, P.O. Box 12070, Capitol Station, Austin, Texas, 78711-2070, (512)
463-5800.
TRD-9904601
Tom Harrison
Executive Director
Texas Ethics Commission
Filed: July 30, 1999
EAO-416.
The Texas Ethics Commission has
been asked whether a legislative employee may accept a grant to conduct research
in conjunction with the legislative employee's enrollment, on personal time,
in a graduate studies program. (AOR-459)
SUMMARY.
The laws under the jurisdiction
of the Ethics Commission do not contain a general prohibition on outside work
by legislative employees. There are, however, provisions under the jurisdiction
of the Ethics Commission that are relevant to questions about outside work
by state employees. Government Code §572.051 (standards of conduct);
Penal Code §§36.07 (honorarium prohibition), 36.08 (gift prohibitions),
36.10 (exceptions to gift prohibitions). In addition, constitutional provisions
or legislative rules may be relevant to whether outside employment by a legislative
employee is permissible.
Questions on particular submissions should be addressed to the Texas Ethics
Commission, P.O. Box 12070, Capitol Station, Austin, Texas, 78711-2070, (512)
463-5800.
TRD-9904780
Tom Harrison
Executive Director
Texas Ethics Commission
Filed: August 4, 1999
Opinion