HARRY HUGHES, Governor
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the authority of the county commissioners or any other
elected official or officials, which persons shall
hereinafter be referred to as "official" or "officials".
(4) "Bribe" means money, property, gift, fee,
payment, services, loan, entertainment, hospitality or other
thing having a value of fifty dollars or more.
(b) Under the provisions of this section, any person
who gives or offers or causes to be given or offered a bribe
or agreement to a public official or attempts, directly or
indirectly, by threat, menace, deceit, suppression of truth,
or other corrupt means, to influence a public official in
the performance of his official duties is punishable by
imprisonment for not more than ten years, or by a fine of
not more than five thousand dollars, or by both.
(c) Under the provisions of this section, any public
official who asks, receives, or agrees to receive any bribe
upon any understanding that his official opinion, judgment
or action shall be influenced thereby, or shall be given in
any particular manner or upon any particular side of any
question or matter upon which he may be required to act in
his official capacity, is punishable by imprisonment in a
state prison not exceeding ten years, or by a fine of not
more than five thousand dollars, or by both.
(d) (1) Financial interests. No public official shall
decide or participate in any ruling, decision, or opinion 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
an official participate in any ruling, decision, or opinion
affecting any person related to him as defined in paragraph
(2) of subsection (a). This subsection shall not be
construed to prohibit an official from having or holding
private investment, 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
his official duties.
(2) Broker, agent, etc. No public official
shall act as broker, agent, attorney, representative, or
employee for any person or firm, in his business dealings
with the county or its agencies or agencies of the state
operating for the county or represent private interests
before the county or such described agencies; nor shall any
public official 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 the county or such described agencies.
This shall not be construed, however, to prevent officials,
or any close business or professional associates of such
officials, from participating in matters with the county or
such described agencies, where such participation has no
relationship to the official duties of such official, nor
shall the term "participation" include the preparation of
surveys, architectural or site plans when such are not
prepared for presentation to the board or commission upon
which such member serves.
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