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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> �F LOp1St DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> Y P.O.BOX 4368 <br /> * BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> �OhrioeNA (225)219-5600 <br /> «o»•' FAX:(225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.1a.gov <br /> May 8, 2024 <br /> Scott Floyd <br /> Major, Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office <br /> 351 South Franklin <br /> Bastrop, Louisiana 71220-3288 <br /> Re: Docket No. 2024-193 <br /> Advisory Opinion <br /> Dear Major Floyd <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its meeting on May 3, 2024, considered your advisory opinion <br /> request as to whether the Code of Governmental Ethics ("Code") prohibits employees of the <br /> Morehouse Parish Sheriffs Office and their immediate family members may bid and purchase <br /> surplus items through a public auction site. <br /> FACTS PROVIDED <br /> Morehouse Parish Sheriffs Office has four divisions: Uniform Patrol Division, Criminal <br /> Investigation Division, Civil Division, and the Corrections Division. Property auctioned by the <br /> Sheriffs Office is handled by the Civil Division. The Sheriffs Office auctions its surplus items <br /> on a website called GovDeals.com. Major Scott Floyd prepares the items on the site and send for <br /> an approval from the site to post items for public auction. The auction is open to the general public <br /> with over 5 million users. When the items are listed, the Sheriffs Office has no information as to <br /> the bidders and who wins the bid until the end of the auction. When the sale is final, Major Floyd <br /> receives notification that the auction has ended and the winning bidder must pay for the items <br /> through the GovDeals website. The winning bidder receives a bill of sale to bring to the Sheriffs <br /> Office to pick up the title if a title is available for the item sold. <br /> You ask whether employees and their immediate family members can bid on and purchase items <br /> surplused by the Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office through public auction conducted by the <br /> GovDeals.com website. <br /> LAw <br /> La. R.S. 42:1113A(1)(a) states no public servant, excluding any legislator and any appointed <br /> member of any board of commission and any member of a governing authority of a parish with a <br /> population of ten thousand or less,or member of such a public servant's immediate family, or legal <br /> entity in which he has a controlling interest shall bid on or enter into any contract, subcontract, or <br /> other transaction that is under the supervision or jurisdiction of the agency of such public servant. <br /> Page 1 of 3 (BD 2024-193) <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />