Opinion ID: 1389974
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the conduct of members and staffs of governmental agencies is regulated by statute

Text: The trial court found that the inspection trips sponsored and paid for by WEC and BBC were merely advertising and that they served a valuable purpose not only for the manufacturer but also for GRDA. Although we are required to find that the appeal is technically moot, we are not prevented from discussing the standards of conduct prescribed by law for those who are entrusted with the public pursestrings. The GRDA is not a private industryit is a governmental agency of the State of Oklahoma created by the legislature. [5] As such, the conduct of its Board and staff members must comply with 74 O.S.1981 § 1401 et seq., the Code of Ethics for State Officials and Employees, (now 74 O.S.Supp. 1982 § 841.5, the Oklahoma Personnel Act). The public policy of the state is that no state officer or employee may engage in any transaction which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of public duties or the public interest. [6] Section 1404 of the Code precluded any state employee from directly or indirectly soliciting or accepting any compensation, gift, loan, entertainment, favor or service given for the purpose of influencing the employee in the discharge of his official duties. [7] So does 74 O.S.Supp.1982 § 841.4. The alleged misbehavior may or may not be actionable pursuant to 21 O.S.1981 § 381 [8] or under the penal sanctions imposed by the Oklahoma Personnel Act, 74 O.S.Supp.1982 § 841.23 (effective July 1, 1982). [9] That question is not before us. It is certainly debatable whether BBC's all-expense paid trip to Europe for the spouses of GRDA members, as well as tickets to a play, were given for the purpose of influencing the members' decisions, but we doubt if such behavior is truly in accord with legislative policy. Acceptance of these gratuities appears to violate the spirit, if not the letter of the law. It may be true that these activities are standard operating procedure in private industry; this Court, however, does not condone such practices in the area of public contracting. WEC asserts that its gifts of checkerboard sets and model trains, and the alleged provision of World Series tickets are just advertising, but we doubt very much whether the equity jurisdiction of our courts can be used to protest the fact that another bidder has been more successful with its advertising campaign. One must first do equity before one can seek equity. [10] We do not intend to condemn GRDA's members for taking the time to tour the bidders' facilities in order to insure that these vendors could deliver as promised. These trips appear to be a key function and a necessary precaution for protecting the public trust. We do protest the use of such functions to extend benefits and gratuities to state employees and their families. Government agencies are uniquely endowed with the power to implement the public will, and as such, are subject to the highest levels of scrutiny by the people whom they serve. Government officials and employees must exercise great care to avoid even the appearance of impropriety in their duties; for they, like Caesar's wife, must be above reproach.