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Advisory opinion request concerning a law firm owned by the daughter and son-in-law of Terrebonne Parish President Gordon Dove being a presentation sponsor at the parish's Fourth of July celebration. |
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Terrebonne Parish President Gordon Dove's daughter and son-in-law, Jackie and Sye Broussard-Dove, each own 50% of the Law Firm of Broussard and Dove, LLC. The parish is putting on a Fourth of July civic and recreation event for the public for which it is soliciting and offering sponsorships. Each sponsor enters into a contract with the parish. The Law Firm of Broussard and Dove, LLC has offered to be the sole "presentation sponsor" at a cost of $15,000 to pay for the cost of the fireworks. In return for its sponsorship, the law firm will receive recognition on event advertising, website and social media, including its name and logo on promotions for the fireworks show as the "Broussard and Dove, LLC Fireworks Spectacular". The parish entered into a contract with J&M Displays to provide the Fireworks Program at a cost of $15,000 to the parish.
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La. R.S. 42:1113(A) prohibits a public servant, a member of their immediate family, or a legal entity in which he has a controlling interest from bidding on or entering into a contract, subcontract, or other transaction that is under the supervision or jurisdiction of the public servant's agency.
La. R.S. 42:1123(30) creates an exception to allow a public servant, a legal entity in which he has a controlling interest, or a member of his immediate family to donate funds to the public servant's agency.
La. R.S. 42:1102(8) defines "controlling interest" as an ownership interest in a legal entity held by or on behalf of a member of his immediate family, either individually or collectively, which exceeds 25% of the legal entity.
La. R.S. 42:1102(13) defines "immediate family" as including the public servant's children and spouses of his children.
Ethics Board Docket No. 2005-463 - Advisory opinion in which the Board concluded that a public servant was prohibited from contracting with his agency for the use of his building at no charge with the agency to make improvements to the property. The lease would also continue after the public servant was no longer employed by the agency. The Board's opinion was based on the fact that improvements would be made to the property and the lease would continue after the public servant's employment was terminated.
Ethics Board Docket No. 2021-030 - The Board concluded that a public employee and his immediate family members could not enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the public employee's agency; however, they could donate the right-of-use to to allow the removal of trees and debris and the donation of dirt for a parish project.
Ethics Board Docket No. 2021-078 - The Board concluded that a member of the Louisiana Crawfish Promotion Board could donate crawfish to be used for a project between the board and a public university, but the board member could not be reimbursed for the cost of the crawfish.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Kathleen Allen |
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