1360                              LAWS OF MARYLAND                       [CH. 858

4. Conduct prohibited.

(a) No commissioner shall:

(1) Decide or participate in a decision in which he has a financial
interest, as owner, member, partner, officer, employee, stockholder,
or other participant of or in any private business or professional
enterprise that will be affected by such decision, nor shall a com-
missioner knowingly participate in a decision affecting a person re-
lated to him or his spouse within and including the second degree
of consanguinity as determined by the common law method of com-
putation, FATHER, MOTHER, BROTHER, SISTER OR CHILD,
JOINTLY OR SEVERALLY. This subsection shall not be construed
to prohibit a commissioner from having or holding private invest-
ment, business, or professional interests, but shall be construed to
apply when such interests are or reasonably may be in conflict with
the proper performance of duty by the commissioner. The term
"financial interest" shall mean ownership by SUCH INTERESTS

SHALL BE PRESUMED TO BE IN CONFLICT WITH THE
PROPER PERFORMANCE OF DUTY BY THE COMMISSIONER
WHEN the commissioner or his spouse, father, mother, brother,
sister or child, jointly or severally, of OWNS a total of more than
three per centum of the invested capital or capital stock of or re-
ceipt of RECEIVES a total combined compensation of more than
five thousand dollars per year from any INDIVIDUAL, groups, firms,
corporations, or associations involved in the decision being made
by the commissioner or his commission, but SUCH PRESUMPTION
shall not be construed to mean APPLY TO or include an interest
or investment in land geographically remote from the land involved
in the decision, a possibility of reverter, a mortgage, or other
security interest in which the real part in interest is not as otherwise
defined in this subsection.

(2)   Act as broker, agent, attorney, representative, or employee of
any person in his business dealings with Montgomery County, Mary-
land National Capital Park and Planning Commission or Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission or represent private interests before
Montgomery County, or the above commissions; nor shall the com-
missioners decide or participate in a decision on any matter in which
a close business or professional associate has acted in any of these
capacities or represented private interests before Montgomery County
or the above commissions; nor shall the Commissioners REPRESENT
PRIVATE INTERESTS OR appear in a position of advocacy, other
than in the performance of their official duties, either in person or by
associate, in any matter or proceeding before the MONTGOMERY
County Council, Maryland National Park and Planning Commission
or, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. OR THE MONT-
GOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF APPEALS.

(3)    Solicit or accept any gift, favor, loan, service, promise, em-
ployment or thing which might influence or tend to influence the
proper performance of his duty.

(4) Disclose any confidential information concerning the property,
management, or affairs of Montgomery County, Maryland National
Park and Planning Commission or Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission or use such information to advance the financial or other
private interests of himself or other persons.