Corrected Advisory Opinion No. 97-3

Corrected Advisory Opinion No. 97-3

Re: Linda H. Sullivan

QUESTION PRESENTED

The petitioner, a former Warwick City Councilor, a municipal elected position, requests an advisory opinion as to what restrictions there may be as to her contact with the City Council and other municipal boards given her potential employment as a consultant.

RESPONSE

It is the opinion of the Rhode Island Ethics Commission that the petitioner, a former Warwick City Councilor, a municipal elected position, may not appear before the Warwick City Council prior to the expiration of one year from the date of her official severance from that position. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 36-14-5(e)(4). The prohibition is not absolute, however, and does allow some ministerial efforts to be carried out by the petitioner. However, the petitioner may not have any personal involvement with a matter before the Town Council that goes beyond ministerial activities such as hand delivering documents or reviewing files so as to constitute "representing another person", nor serve as an expert witness before the expiration of one year from the date of his official severance from the Town Council. This prohibition does not extend, however, to appearing before other municipal agencies such as the Zoning Board or Planning Board, since the petitioner no longer has the ability to exercise fiscal or jurisdictional control or influence over the entity.

Code Citations:

36-14-5(e)(4)

Related Advisory Opinions:



96-119

96-102

96-59

96-11

94-13

Keywords:



post-employment

revolving door