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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> LOU�� <br /> ,)1 LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> 7. <br /> P.O.BOX 4368 <br /> 144.41+.' BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> (225)219-5600 <br /> FAX:(225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.state.la.us <br /> November 24, 2014 <br /> Mr. Vincent G. Russo, Jr. <br /> 306 Plantation Ridge Drive <br /> Baton Rouge,La. 70810 <br /> Re: Ethics Board Docket No.2014-1279 <br /> Dear Mr. Russo: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its November 21, 2014 meeting, considered your request for an <br /> advisory opinion regarding whether Section 1121B(1)of the Code of Governmental Ethics(Code) <br /> would prohibit you, after you retire, from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and <br /> Development (DOTD), on January 3, 2015, from seeking employment with an engineering <br /> consulting firm or as an independent contractor.You are currently employed by DOTD as a Special <br /> Assistant in the Office of Engineering. You stated that in your position as Special Assistant you do <br /> not supervise or evaluate employees. <br /> The Board concluded,and instructed me to advise you that,Section 1121B(1)of the Code would not <br /> prohibit you from seeking employment with an engineering consultant firm or as an independent <br /> contractor provided you only receive compensation for your services on projects that you did not <br /> participate in while you were employed with DOTD. Section 1121B of the Code prohibits a former <br /> public servant for a period of two years following the termination of their public service from <br /> assisting another person for compensation in transactions with his former agency that he participated <br /> in at any time during his public service or render any service which such former public servant <br /> rendered to the agency during the term of his employment on a contractual basis to his former <br /> agency. The Board instructed me to caution you that within two years of the termination of your <br /> public service you are prohibited from receiving any compensation for services rendered on any <br /> project in which you participated in while employed by DOTD. Further,you are prohibited for two <br /> years from contracting with, DOTD, Office of Engineering to provide the same services you <br /> provided during your public service. <br /> Further, the Board requests that you inform your new employer that it is prohibited under Section <br /> 1121C,for the same two year period,from assisting its clients,for compensation,in transactions in <br /> which you participated while you were an employee of the DOTD. Section 1121C provides that no <br /> legal entity in which a former public servant is an officer, director, trustee, partner, or employee <br /> shall,for a period of two years following the termination of his public service,assist another person, <br /> for compensation, in a transaction, or in an appearance in connection with a transaction in which <br /> such public servant at any time participated during his public service and involving the agency by <br /> which he was formerly employed or in which he formerly held office. <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />