No person may offer or pay to a public official, public member, or public employee and no public official, public member, or public employee may solicit or receive money in addition to that received by the public official, public member, or public employee in his official capacity for advice or assistance given in the course of his employment as a public official, public member, or public employee.

ETHICS COMMISSION OPINIONS

1. In General

Law enforcement agency would not be prohibited from accepting rewards from military installations for apprehending deserters from installations, there being no reason why such reward could not be accepted by office to assist office in carrying out its mandated responsibilities since no employee receives any personal benefit. Op S.C. St. Ethics Comm., SEC AO92-122, March 25, 1992.

Former DHEC employee who is currently employed by Budget and Control Board would not be prohibited from providing certain part-time consulting and engineering services as long as such work is not part of employee's official responsibilities and is performed in accordance with off-duty employment guidelines. With limited exceptions, however, Section 8-13-740(A)(6) would preclude employee and any business with which he is associated from representing clients before other state agencies. Op. S.C. St. Ethics Comm., SEC AO94-003, July 21, 1993.

Textbook publishing company may furnish books and other teaching materials for trial use in classroom setting, provided the donation is not intended to influence public official's, public member's, or public employee's official responsibilities. Rather than serving as actual members of textbook adoption committees, teachers who have used publisher-donated texts should appear before these committees to present their findings and recommendations. Section 8-13-720 prohibits publishing companies from compensating those teachers who utilize donated texts and related materials for trial use in their classrooms. Op. S.C. St. Ethics Comm., SEC AO94-014, January 19, 1994.