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 Request
AOR-399 If a corporation is conducting a contest or competition among groups of 
employees with the goal of increasing participation in its Political Action 
Committee, can the corporation contribute corporate funds to an employee 
activity fund for use by the group of employees that wins the competition?  
Issued in Austin, Texas, on February 28, 1997.
TRD-9702878
Tom Harrison
Executive Director
Texas Ethics Commission
Filed: February 28, 1997

Ethics Advisory Opinions
EAO-358 (AOR-393) Whether an employee of the Texas Legislature may be the owner 
of a business that provides election support services to candidates for elective 
office. 
SUMMARY Whether a legislative employee may engage in outside business activity 
depends on the specific nature of the outside business activity. Although there 
is no absolute prohibition on outside employment by legislative employees in the 
laws interpreted by the Ethics Commission, any legislative employee considering 
outside employment should review the provisions mentioned in this opinion to 
make sure that the outside employment is permissible. 
EAO-359 (AOR-396) Whether a legislator may use political contributions to pay or 
reimburse expenditures incurred by a staff member who maintains a residence in 
Austin to lease and furnish an apartment in the legislator's district. 
SUMMARY A legislator may use political contributions to pay or reimburse 
expenditures incurred by a staff member who normally resides in Austin to lease 
and furnish a second residence in the legislator's district if the legislator 
has requested that the staff member spend time in the legislator's district 
during the legislative session to maintain contact with the legislator's 
constituents. In the situation described in this opinion, the legislator's 
payment of those expenses is not a prohibited "benefit" to the staff member. 
EAO-360 (AOR-397) Clarification of Ethics Advisory Opinion Number 329 concerning 
the contribution of legal services rendered in connection with a lawsuit brought 
under Election Code, sec.253.131.
SUMMARY A contribution of personal services to a candidate or officeholder is 
not reportable because Election Code, sec.254.033 specifically excepts 
contributions of personal services from the reporting requirements. The Election 
Code does not, however, except from the reporting requirements contributions in 
the form of payment of expenditures made in connection with rendering personal 
services. Therefore, such payments are reportable. 
EAO-361 (AOR-398) Whether a regulatory agency is required to comply with a 
former employee's request to provide a list of "matters" that the former 
employee worked on during his or her tenure at the agency. 
SUMMARY The Government Code, Chapter 572 does not place an obligation on a state 
agency to provide a former employee with a list of matters in which the former 
employee participated. 
Issued in Austin, Texas, on February 28, 1997.
TRD-9702877
Tom Harrison
Executive Director
Texas Ethics Commission
Filed: February 28, 1997