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OPA warns vs solicitations for gifts, gratuities
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Posted on Feb 10 2009
The Office of the Public Auditor is reminding the public that government officials and employees are not allowed to solicit gifts or gratuities.
In a notice issued yesterday, OPA highlighted 1CMC Section 8551 of the CNMI Government Ethics Code, which states that “a public official or public employee, or a member of the immediate family or a business associate of a public official or public employee, shall not solicit or accept anything of value, or the promise or offer of anything of value, from:
A person regulated by or providing goods or services to, the government entity that the public official or public employee serves;
A person who has offered, or expressed an intention to provide travel expenses, goods or services to any member of a government entity that the public official or public employee serves; or
A person who was regulated by, or provided goods and services to, the government entity that the public official or public employee serves when circumstances show that the thing of value was promised or offered to or received between the person and the government entity.
Those covered under this provision include:
* Public official(s): any person holding any elected office of the Commonwealth or any appointed, non-employee member of the Commonwealth government, including members of boards, commissions, and task forces;
* Public employee(s): any individual who is an appointed employee of the Commonwealth government, whether part-time or full-time;
* Immediate family: a spouse, an un-emancipated child residing in the same household, or an individual claimed as a dependent; and
* Business associate(s) of a public official or public employee.
As examples of prohibited actions, OPA cited the following examples:
* A nonprofit organization, acting on behalf of a government entity, soliciting something of value from a business that is regulated by or does business with that entity.
* Sponsorship of a government entity sports team by a business that is regulated by or does business with that entity.
For more information, or to report a possible violation, contact the OPA at (670) 322-6481/2, or by calling the OPA hotline at (670) 322-3936. [B][I](OPA)[/I][/B]
