|
An advisory opinion request regarding whether the Code of Governmental Ethics would prohibit COMPASS Group USA, Inc. (COMPASS), from serving PJ's Coffee on the Louisiana State University (LSU) campus while Scott Ballard serves as a member of the LSU Board of Supervisors. |
|
Ms. Dougherty requested to withdraw this item as, at this time, Mr. Ballard no longer desires to pursue PJ's Coffee being provided on the LSU campus through SYSCO's contract with COMPASS.
|
|
Nancy Dougherty submitted an advisory opinion request on behalf of Scott Ballard, regarding whether the Code of Governmental Ethics would prohibit COMPASS, from serving PJ's Coffee on the LSU campus. Mr. Scott Ballard is a member of the LSU Board of Supervisors. Mr. Ballard is an officer and owns 33% of PJ's Coffee. Ms. Dougherty stated that PJ's Coffee contracted with SYSCO to market its products. Further, she provided that SYSCO, distributes PJ's products to approximately 700 customers. SYSCO has received a contract to supply coffee products to COMPASS.
Additionally Ms. Dougherty stated that COMPASS has the contract to supply coffee to the LSU campus.
PJ's has learned that SYSCO desires to include PJ's Coffee in the coffee that it distributes to COMPASS for use on the LSU campus. She added that LSU did not retain any right to approve the brands of coffee to be provided under its contract with COMPASS. Further, she stated that LSU does not participate in any manner in the selection of which coffee should be provided on campus. Finally, Ms. Dougherty provided that PJ's did not make any request or solicitation toward SYSCO to include its product on the LSU campus.
|
|
La. R.S. 42:1112B(3) states that no public servant shall participate in a transaction involving the governmental entity in which, to his actual knowledge, any person of which he is an officer, director, trustee, partner, or employee has a substantial economic interest.
La. R.S. 42:1113B prohibits an appointed member of a board or commission, his immediate family member, or a legal entity in which they have a substantial economic interest, from entering into or being in any way interested in a transaction that is under the supervision or jurisdiction of the board or commission.
La. R.S. 42:1114 provides that each public servant and each member of his immediate family who derives anything of economic value, directly, through any transaction involving the agency of such public servant or who derives any thing of economic value of which he may be reasonably expected to know through a person which (1) is regulated by the agency of such public servant, or (2) has bid on or entered into or is in any way financially interested in any contract, subcontract, or any transaction under the supervision or jurisdiction of the agency of such public servant shall disclose certain information as set forth in La. R.S. 42:1114.
|
|
|
Allow Ms. Dougherty to withdraw her request.
|
|
| Assigned Attorney: |
Suzanne Mooney |
|
|