Because of the extraordinary trust and responsibility exercised by public officials conducting procurement transactions, and legitimate expectation by the public that this trust and responsibility be exercised properly, the laws of this Commonwealth dictate a higher standard of conduct for procurement officials than for public employees in general. Procurement officials and vendors must be cognizant of these laws, including the Virginia Public Procurement Act, the State and Local Government Conflict of Interest Act, and the Virginia Governmental Frauds Act. All State employees having official responsibility for procurement transactions shall conduct business with vendors in a manner above reproach in every respect.
Transactions relating to the expenditure of public funds require the highest degree of public trust.
In some situations it may be necessary for state personnel to make site visits in conjunction with a solicitation to evaluate vendor capability and equipment. If site visits are required for evaluation purposes, the state and not the vendor being evaluated should pay for such visits. C. State employees having official responsibility for procurement transactions may attend vendor-sponsored seminars or trade shows where they will benefit from receiving product information and learning about new techniques and product or service trends. Food, drinks and give-away items offered to all participants at such functions may be accepted by State employees. Upon conviction, any public employee in addition to any other fine or penalty provided by law shall forfeit his employment.