Advisory Opinion No. 1993-12
Advisory Opinion No. 1993-12
Disclosure Of Contracts With
Quasi-Public Agencies On The
Statement Of Financial
Interests
Pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-83, certain public officials
and state employees must file statements of financial interests for the preceding
calendar year with the State Ethics Commission.
Among other items which must be disclosed on the statement are any
leases or contracts with the state held or entered into by the individual or a
business with which he was associated.
Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-83(b)(1)(G). Ethics
Commission Staff Attorney Brenda M. Bergeron has asked
whether a contract with a Quasi-Public agency, as defined in Conn. Gen. Stat.
§1-79(1), is considered a contract with the state for purposes of this
subsection.
The legislation which established each of the Quasi-Public
agencies made it clear that they were not to be construed to be a department,
institution or agency of the state. See
Conn. Gen. Stat. §§32-35(a), 10a-179(i), 10a-243, 8-244(a), 8-119zz(a),
22a-261(a), 22a-134bb(a), 32-203(a), 32-188(a).
See also State Ethics Commission Advisory Opinion No. 79-12, 40 Conn.
L.J. No. 47, p.14 (May 22, 1979). Effective January 1, 1989, the officials and employees of the
States quasi-public agencies became subject to the Code of Ethics for Public
Officials. Public Act Number
88-225. At that time, several sections
of the Code were amended because of the addition of these individuals, but the
Legislature did not amend §1-83 to include disclosure of contracts with the
quasi-public agencies. Based on both the
clear language of the Ethics Code and the legislation establishing the
Quasi-public agencies, as well as the General Assemblys decision not to amend
§1-83 at the time officials and employees of these agencies became subject to
the Code, contracts with a Quasi-Public agency do not need to be disclosed on
the Statement of Financial Interests.
By order of the Commission,
Christopher T. Donohue
Chairperson