CN 1980-065 - Laserfiche WebLink

COMUIISSION ON ETHICS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES DATED: September 15, 1980 FILED: September 15, 1980 GENERAL OPINION NO. 80 -40 RE: Opinion regarding the propriety of state employees soliciting personal services and favors from supervised employees The Commission has received reports that supervisory public employees do from time to time solicit or extract personal services and personal favors both during regular working hours and after working hours from public employees subject to their general supervision and control. Section 1101 of the Code declares the public policy of the state to be that " public office and employment not be used for private gain . . . [and that] there be public confidence in the integrity of government." More specifically, Section 1116 of the Code contains a specific prohibition against public servants using the authority of their office or position" . . . in a manner intended to compel or coerce any person or other public servant to provide himself . . . with any thing of economic value." "Thing of economic value" as used in the preceding paragraph is defined in Section 1102(22) of the Code as including, in part, " . . . any . . . thing having economic value . . . " as well as " . . . any promise or undertaking.. . .". It is the opinion of this Commission that "thing of economic value" in- cludes the rendering of personal services and personal favors; in view of the prohibition against a public servant using his office or position in order to extract " . any thing of economic value . . ." from any other public servant or person, set forth in Section 1116 as quoted above., it is the opinion of this • Commission that the Code of Ethics in general in Section 1101 and 1116 in parti- cular prevent and restrict public employees from soliciting or extracting from 91