| Advisory Opinion as to whether the Code of Governmental Ethics (the "Code") permits the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office ("CPSO") to enter into a contract for services with Rock Solid Aviation, a private company owned by Wayne Steve Thompson, a Reserve Deputy of CPSO.
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Wayne Steve Thompson, has served as a Reserve Deputy of CPSO since September 2018. From February 2024 until August 16, 2025, he served as a part-time employee for CPSO in the role of Aviation Manager. During this time, his role consisted of overseeing callouts, training, meetings, piloting planes, and training pilots on procedures associated with flying a law enforcement aircraft and/or mission.
Mr. Thompson now serves as a Reserve Deputy and reports to Bill Hambor and Commander Adrian Quintela. The services Mr. Thompson performs as a Reserve Deputy are primarily related to his ability to fly missions for CPSO. If such services are performed, he would remain uncompensated.
Since 2018, Mr. Thompson has owned a private company, Rock Solid Aviation. CPSO would like to contract with vendors, such as Rock Solid Aviation, and other vendors (which sometimes rent planes from Rock Solid Aviation) to provide pilot training and the use of their aircraft.
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La. R.S. 42:1102(18)(a) defines "public employee" to mean anyone, whether compensated or not, who is (i) an administrative officer or official of a governmental entity who is not filling an elective office. (ii) appointed by any elected official when acting in an official capacity, and the appointment is to a post or position wherein the appointee is to serve the governmental entity or an agency thereof, either as a member of an agency, or as an employee thereof. (iii) engaged in the performance of a governmental function. (iv) under the supervision or authority of an elected official or another employee of the governmental entity.
La. R.S. 42:1102(15) defines "participate" to mean to take part in or to have or share responsibility for action of a governmental entity or a proceeding, personally, as a public servant of the governmental entity, through approval, disapproval, decision, recommendation, the rendering of advice, investigation, or the failure to act or perform a duty.
La. R.S. 42:1111C(2)(d) states that no public servant and no legal entity in which the public servant exercises control or owns an interest in excess of twenty-five percent, shall receive any thing of economic value for or in consideration of services rendered, or to be rendered, to or for any person during his public service unless such services are: (d) Neither performed for nor compensated by any person from whom such public servant would be prohibited by R.S. 42:1115(A)(1) or (B) from receiving a gift.
La. R.S. 42:1112A states that no public servant, except as provided in R.S. 42:1120, shall participate in a transaction in which he has a personal substantial economic interest of which he may be reasonably expected to know involving the governmental entity.
La. R.S. 42:1113A(1)(a) No public servant, excluding any legislator and any appointed member of any board or commission and any member of a governing authority of a parish with a population of ten thousand or less, or member of such a public servant's immediate family, or legal entity in which he has a controlling interest shall bid on or enter into any contract, subcontract, or other transaction that is under the supervision or jurisdiction of the agency of such public servant.
La. R.S. 42:1123(35) provides that any volunteer fireman or uncompensated law enforcement officer or legal entity in which he has an interest may bid on or enter into a contract, subcontract, or other transaction under the supervision and jurisdiction of his agency; provided the volunteer fireman or uncompensated law enforcement officer shall receive no compensation or thing of economic value for his service as a volunteer fireman or uncompensated law enforcement officer, that the volunteer fireman or uncompensated law enforcement officer shall not be an agency head, and that the volunteer fireman or uncompensated law enforcement officer shall not participate on behalf of his agency in any capacity regarding such contract, subcontract, other transaction.
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Adopt proposed advisory opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Kathryn Calmes |
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