| Advisory opinion request as to whether the Code of Governmental Ethics would prohibit Greg Jones and his company, Sandlot Sports Network, from receiving compensation in connection with internet coverage of local events. |
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Greg Jones is employed as the Assistant Principal of LaSalle High School and co-owns and operates Sandlot Sports Network, an internet broadcast network that does free media coverage of rural high school events such as graduations and sporting events. The basis of Sandlot Sports Network is to provide free viewership to parents, grandparents, extended family, and students that can no longer attend the events due to health reasons or work obligations.
Sandlot Sports Network provides internet coverage of events at no charge to the schools covered and no school or district equipment is used. Mr. Jones is not required to get permission from the local schools or the local school board in order to broadcast the school events. The only income that Sandlot Sports Network receives is from the sale of advertising packages to local businesses to provide commercials for their business during the live broadcast, as well as internet advertising during the weeks when there are no live events. The broadcasts are handled by others if it is at a time when Mr. Jones is working as the Administrator on Duty for LaSalle High School.
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La. R.S. 42:1123(30) provides an exception which allows a public servant, a legal entity in which he has a controlling interest, or a member of his immediate family, to donate services to his agency.
La. R.S. 42:1111A(1) prohibits a public servant from receiving any thing of economic value, other than compensation and benefits from the governmental entity to which he is duly entitled, for the performance of the duties and responsibilities of his office and position.
La. R.S. 42:1111C(1)(a) prohibits a public servant from receiving any thing of economic value for any service, the subject matter of which is devoted substantially to the responsibilities, programs, or operations of the agency of the public servant and in which the public servant has participated.
La. R.S. 42:1111C(2)(d) prohibits a public servant and any legal entity in which the public servant exercises control or owns an interest in excess of twenty-five percent, from receiving anything of economic value for services rendered to or for a person who has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant's agency.
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Adopt the proposed advisory opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Jennifer Land |
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