TEXAS  ETHICS COMMISSION
The Texas Ethics Commission is authorized by Government Code, sec.571.091, to 
issue advisory opinions in regard to the following statutes: the Government 
Code, Chapter 302; the Government Code, Chapter 305; the Government Code, 
Chapter 572; the Election Code, Title 15; the Penal Code, Chapter 36; and the 
Penal Code, Chapter 39.
Requests for copies of the full text of opinions or questions on particular 
submissions should be addressed to the Office of the Texas Ethics Commission, 
P.O. Box 12070, Austin, Texas 78711-2070, (512) 463-5800.

Advisory Opinion Requests
AOR-335. The Texas Ethics Commission has been asked to consider whether a 
candidate for county chairman of a political party may accept a contribution 
from a corporation.
AOR-336. The Texas Ethics Commission has been asked to consider the following 
questions:
1. Whether members of a legislative caucus may hold closed meetings at any of 
the facilities of a public university.
2. If so:
a. What may the university provide (i.e. lodging, meals, transportation)
b. Must the host be present at all events
c. Define "host"
3. If smaller work groups or "breakout sessions" are held as part of the entire 
event to discuss varied topics, whether these work groups constitute separate 
meetings which must separately meet the same guidelines as the whole event.
Issued in Austin, Texas, on January 23, 1996.
TRD-9601022
Tom Harrison
Executive Director
Texas Ethics Commission
Filed: January 24, 1996
  
Ethics Advisory Opinions
EAO-297 (AOR-326).
Questions about the use of political contributions to pay for travel by the 
Governor and members of the Governor's immediate family. 
Summary of Opinion.
The Election Code does not permit the use of political contributions to pay for 
the Governor's travel or for the travel of members of the Governor's immediate 
family if the primary purpose of the trip is personal. If the Governor or a 
member of this family uses a private airplane for personal travel because of the 
undue difficulties of commercial air travel that are attributable to state 
security measures, the costs of using a private plane that exceed the price of 
commercial airfare are attributable to activities in connection with
the office of the Governor and therefore properly payable from political 
contributions.
EAO-298 (AOR-332).
Application of Government Code, sec.572.058 to a member of the board of the 
Department of Housing and Community Affairs who bids on a project of a developer 
applying for tax credits under the department's tax credit program.
Summary of Opinion.
A member of the board of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs 
who  has submitted a bid or has been awarded a contract pertaining to a project 
of a developer who applies for tax credits for the project under the 
department's tax credit program must  disclose in an open meeting that he has an 
interest in the award of tax credits to the developer and recuse himself from 
participation in the matter. The board member would not be required to recuse 
himself from participation in other matters involving the general administration 
of the tax credit program.
EAO-299 (AOR-333). 
Whether a payment in settlement of a lawsuit may be contributed to
a political party to use for campaign purposes.
Summary of Opinion. 
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit may contribute a payment made to the plaintiffs in 
settlement of the lawsuit to a political party to use for campaign purposes as 
long as none of the plaintiffs is an entity subject to the restrictions on 
political contributions from corporations or labor organizations in the Election 
Code, Chapter 253, Subchapter D.
EAO-300 (AOR-334). 
Whether a judicial candidate may accept a contribution from the political funds 
of the  candidate's father in excess of the individual contribution limits 
imposed by Election Code, sec.253.155.
Summary of Opinion.
A judicial candidate is not restricted in the amount the candidate may accept 
from the candidate's father, even if the father's contribution consists of his 
own political funds.
Issued in Austin, Texas, January 24, 1996.
TRD-9601096
Tom Harrison
Executive Director
Texas Ethics Commission
Filed: January 25, 1996