| Advisory opinion request as to whether Tamara Wyre's continued ownership and participation in Train With Intent, LLC, is permitted while she serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office. |
|
Tamara Wyre has accepted an offer of employment to serve as the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office ("OPSO"). Her employment offer is contingent upon confirmation that her continued ownership interest and limited participation in Train With Intent, LLC ("TWI"), does not violate the Code of Governmental Ethics (the "Code").
Tamara Wyre is a co-founder of TWI, a private consulting and training organization focused on responsible, human-centered artificial intelligence (AI) literacy and innovation. She intends to maintain her ownership interest and participation in TWI while employed by OPSO, but with the following limitations and safeguards:
- TWI does not have and is not seeking to have a contractual, business, or financial relationship with OPSO or any agency thereof.
- TWI will not pursue, solicit, bid on, or enter into any contracts, subcontracts, or other transactions, including compensated engagements, with or under the supervision or jurisdiction of OPSO.
- No OPSO resources, including equipment, facilities, personnel, systems, email accounts, or other public assets, will be utilized in connection with TWI activities.
- She will not participate in any OPSO matter involving TWI, nor will she use her public position to secure any business opportunities, clients, referrals, or other benefits or advantages for TWI.
- All TWI activities and work she will perform will be conducted outside of her official OPSO working hours and will be scheduled so as not to interfere with her responsibilities to OPSO.
- Her primary professional commitment will be her role as Chief Human Resources Officer for OPSO, and she will perform those duties with the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and accountability.
|
|
La. R.S. 42:1111C(1)(a) prohibits a public servant from receiving any thing of economic value for any service, the subject matter of which is devoted substantially to the responsibilities, programs, or operations of the agency of the public servant and in which the public servant has participated.
La. R.S. 42:1111C(2) 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: (a) Bona fide and actually performed by the public servant or by the entity; (b) Not within the course of his official duties; (c) Not prohibited by R.S. 42:1112 or by applicable laws or regulations governing nonpublic employment for such public servant; and (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. 42:1115A(1) prohibits public servants from soliciting or accepting, directly or indirectly, any thing of economic value as a gift or gratuity from any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if such public servant knows or reasonably should know that such person has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant's agency.
La. R.S. 42:1115B prohibits public employees from soliciting or accepting, directly or indirectly, any thing of economic value as a gift or gratuity from any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if such public servant knows or reasonably should know that such person conducts operations or activities which are regulated by the public employee's agency or has substantial economic interests which may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the public employee's official duty.
|
|
|
Adopt the proposed advisory opinion.
|
|
| Assigned Attorney: |
Jessica Meiners |
|
|