| Amendment to advisory opinion rendered to Jeff Everson concerning his employment as Caddo Parish Commission Clerk while his wife is employed with Robinson's Rescue, a non-profit organization that receives funding from the parish. |
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Jeff Everson was selected as the potential Caddo Parish Commission Clerk on December 21, 2019. The position was publicly advertised and he was chosen by a vote of the board after interviewing along with several other candidates.
Prior to Mr. Everson's selection as clerk, the Commission approved its 2020 budget in a special meeting on December 3, 2019. This budget included a $40,000 grant to Robinson's Rescue, a nonprofit organization that provides spay and neuter vouchers for low-income citizens and spay and neuter education parish-wide. Mr. Everson's wife, Dr. Andrea Master Everson, is an employee of Robinson's Rescue, performing spay and neuter services, but does not have an ownership stake in the organization and is not a member of its leadership structure.
As Caddo Parish Commission clerk, Mr. Everson would have no part in deciding whether Robinson's Rescue or any other organization receives funding and his responsibilities would be administrative in nature, such as recording proceedings at which such decisions are made.
The Eversons have entered into a separate property regime.
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The Board, at its March 6, 2020 meeting, issued an advisory opinion that Mr. Everson's wife's continued employment with a non-profit that receives funding from his agency was not prohibited given the fact that they entered into a separate property marital regime. However, the opinion did not include information concerning Dr. Everson's need to file a disclosure statement pursuant to R.S. 42:1114.
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La. R.S. 42:1114A provides that each public servant and each member of his immediate family who derives any thing 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 the following:
(1) The amount of income or value of any thing of economic value derived;
(2) The nature of the business activity;
(3) Name and address, and relationship to the public servant, if applicable; and
(4) The name and business address of the legal entity, if applicable.
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E. The disclosure statements required in this Section shall be filed each year with the appropriate ethics body by May fifteenth and shall include such information for the previous calendar year. Such statements shall be a matter of public record.
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Adopt amended advisory opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Kathleen Allen |
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