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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> OF Lo 11V <br /> DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> 9x LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> P.O.BOX 4368 <br /> * � * BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> °oAFI DEN c`'' (225)219-5600 <br /> -«o» FAX:(225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.1a.gov <br /> October 7, 2025 <br /> Acy Cooper, Jr. <br /> 42941 Highway 23 <br /> Venic, Louisiana 70091 <br /> Re: Doc:l et No. 2025-488 <br /> Advisory Opinion <br /> Dear Mr. Cooper: <br /> The. Louisiana. Board of Ethics, at its October 3, 2025 meeting, considered your advisory opinion <br /> request as to whether the Code of Governmental Ethics (the "Code") permits a member of the <br /> Lo-cisiana Shrimp Task Force (the "Task Force") to have the Task Force pay for airfare related to <br /> his Services fcr the Task Force. <br /> FACTS PROVIDED <br /> Th: 'T'ask Force was established by statute as an agency under the Louisiana Department of <br /> Wildlife and Fisheries. You serve as an appointed member of the Task Force. <br /> The 'Task F of ce occasionally is involved with federal trade issues, and interacts with federal <br /> age lcies. You would like to know whether, if approved by the Task Force, the Task Force could <br /> pay for your ai rfare to travel to Washington,D.C.to represent the Task Force as part of your duties. <br /> LAW <br /> La. It.S. 42;:1111A prohibits a public employee from receiving anything of economic value, other <br /> than compensation and benefits from the governmental entity to which he is duly entitled, for the <br /> per-,ormance of the duties and responsibilities of his office or position. <br /> La. R.S.. 42:1102(2)(a)(i) defines "agency", for public servants who are members or employees <br /> of a board or commission or who provide staff assistance to a board or commission, to mean the <br /> board.or commission. <br /> La. II;.S. 42:1102(18)(a) defines "public employee"to mean any person,whether compensated or <br /> not who is: (i; an administrative officer or official of a governmental entity who is not filling an <br /> elective office; (ii) appointed by any elected official when acting in an official capacity, and the <br /> appointment. i to a post or position wherein the appointee is to serve the governmental entity or <br /> an Egency thereof, either as a member of an agency, or as an employee thereof; (iii)engaged in the <br /> Page 1 of 2 (BD 2025-488) <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />