(a) Any public official or state employee who establishes a legal defense fund, or for whom a legal defense fund has been established, shall file a report on said fund with the Office of State Ethics not later than the tenth day of January, April, July and October. Each such report shall include the following information for the preceding calendar quarter: (1) The names of the directors and officers of the fund, (2) the name of the depository institution for the fund, (3) an itemized accounting of each contribution to the fund, including the full name and complete address of each contributor and the amount of the contribution, and (4) an itemized accounting of each expenditure, including the full name and complete address of each payee and the amount and purpose of the expenditure. The public official or state employee shall sign each such report under penalty of false statement. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any person who has made a contribution to a legal defense fund before June 3, 2004.

(b) (1) In addition to the prohibitions on gifts under subsections (j) and (m) of section 1-84 and subsection (a) of section 1-97, no public official or state employee shall accept, directly or indirectly, any contribution to a legal defense fund established by or for the public official or state employee, from (A) a member of the immediate family of any person who is prohibited from giving a gift under subsection (j) or (m) of section 1-84 or subsection (a) of section 1-97, or (B) a person who is appointed by said public official or state employee to serve on a paid, full-time basis. No person described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision shall make a contribution to such a legal defense fund, and no such person or any person prohibited from making a gift under subsection (j) or (m) of section 1-84 or subsection (a) of section 1-97 shall solicit a contribution for such a legal defense fund.

(2) A public official or state employee may accept a contribution or contributions to a legal defense fund established by or for the public official or state employee from any other person, provided the total amount of such contributions from any such person in any calendar year shall not exceed one thousand dollars. No such person shall make a contribution or contributions to said legal defense fund exceeding one thousand dollars in any calendar year. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply in 2004, to any person who has made a contribution or contributions to a legal defense fund exceeding one thousand dollars in 2004, before June 3, 2004, provided said legal defense fund shall not accept any additional contributions from such person in 2004, and such person shall not make any additional contributions to said fund in 2004.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection, a public official or state employee may accept a contribution or contributions, in any amount, to a legal defense fund established by or for the public official or state employee from a relative of the public official or state employee or a person whose relationship with the public official or state employee is not dependent on the official's or employee's status as a public official or state employee. The factors that the board shall consider in determining whether a person's relationship is so dependent shall include, but not be limited to, whether the person may be able to benefit from the exercise of official authority of the public official or state employee and whether the person made gifts to the public official or state employee before the official or employee began serving in such office or position.

(P.A. 04-198, S. 1; P.A. 05-183, S. 11.)

History: P.A. 04-198 effective June 3, 2004; P.A. 05-183 replaced “State Ethics Commission” with “Office of State Ethics” and “board” throughout the section, effective July 1, 2005.