OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

Bon. rred 8rlmaa 

Dirtriot Attorney 

Longvlor, Texar 

Baroh 1, 1930 

“It any ottlorr of any OOunty..e, 

rball broom0 la any mannor poounluily 

lntrr*rtd la any eontraotr rub by ruoh 

oountf,r..rthrough It8 allentm, or other- . . 

w110, tar the oonrtruotiorr or rapair ot 

l nr brldgr, road rtrwt, alloy or house, 

or any othor war i unabortakrn by l uo h oounty, 

.,..shall Moore lntorootod i8 ant bid 

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Roa,.Prod 3rlmaaa. Yarob 1, 1939, Pa@ 8 

or 

:: 

or 

proposal for sooh work or la the putabme 

~10 ot sayt~lq, 72660 tor or oa rooount 

suob oountf, . . .or who shall oontmet tor 

reorlrr ray monq or property, of the 

reprssrntrtlrr or dttrr, or any moluamt 

or advantage ~hatsowo? in oonslderatloo ot 

suoh b14, proposal, oontraot, porohase or 

salo, ha shall ba fined not less than flit7 

nor more tran flre hundnd dcllars.* 

Thr toregoing statutes arr 86666 apoa som4 

pub110 polioy. 'Iho objeot 1s to lnsuro to the l oumtr 

strlot fldellty upon the part of tho86 rho mm 6 ita 

tlsoal rftrlrs. The rule prohlbltlag pobllo ot f loom 

froa belag lnterrsted In publlo oontraots should be 

sorupulous~~ l afor666~ 

The authoritloo are praatioally uaaalmous to 

the offrot that the offloor to be 113ble, mumt bare an 

interest (dlnotly or ladlrootl 

1 

1, la the rubfeat -utter 

ot tha aontraot. A r6Sote aoat ngrnot~rlll aot bring 

#aid oftlarr within the statutos~ 

The Toxss rule 18 roll l tate4 la Taus Jurloprudenae, a6 follws~ 

*An oftloer 1s prcblb~ted rroa l atlna 

ln k-is offlalrl aapaoitg as to aattorr In 

chloh ha has so intOr#ot~ Cons louour examplrs of saoh prohlbltlons are t ! 060 whloh 

forbidr.~.~ember6 of the oomsl6slon6r6~ oourt 

from ooa6ldrrat~oa of l nr olala la vtiloh thy 

are lntwortrd. But to oomo rlthla the rule 

tho Otfioer’6 lntere#t must b6 dlreot and 

aertala; ho 16 not dlsqualltlrd by an allo@ 

soaetary.~ntrtest rbloh 1s at most oootlagent, ind may dot 16 tr o t l xlst at rll.o 

34 tax. fur. 499, 878. \ 

Corpus Jut16 stator the law to BOX 1 

*A peoualary lntrnst lo the aoatraot 

blreot or lndlrogt 18 hold to oow rlthln 

tbo prohlbitlon....Aa lntor66t to laralldato 

the oontraot qurt k o f l p a r so na l or prltato 
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Ron. ?rod Jrlmaa, Yaroh 1, 1939\ P6(o 3 

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nature.,..It must ba an latrrrst la 

jrot mtter ot tha ooatraot ltselt 66 alstfnguiSh@d irOt6 OUtS~dO 1IitOrO6t6 Of the.... 

offloor lnoldratally aftrated by the makfn(j 

ot the ooatraot." 44 0. Se OS, para, 81%. 

m (,8d) 99 

Ia thr OikSO of bity of Gdlaburg vs ~1116, 60 

6otion a&a I 

the Coain1661oa Ot Apprals la 6 rotailer'r 

nut thr 6lty iOr a talanoo duo on 6n opaa 

roaount, held the question of whrthrr a olty aomm~srloal r rho sold 6uppll66 to rat611 dealerr, and rho sold 

suoh 0up911a6 to t:r retailor brlnglog the l otloa, ~68 

a taot qu~#tiOa, tfnally dotorelaable oaly by 611 th6 

l ttondrnt olroun6taa00se It traud aad oollu6loa ooul4 

b6 6hown, tho oontraot would b6 M illegal oni. 

PrCm the author1t166 quoted, supra, 10 are Of 

oplaloo the aounty would not be praoludad from aoklng 

puroha6e6 from the t1111ag statioa in $uest1oa, aad that 

therm would be no rlolatioo ot rlthor statute you olta, 

unle66 aollusloa and traud be provable as to the ocmal66lonor l ftootrbr 

Vary truly gourr