(a) The board, upon a finding made pursuant to section 1-82 that there has been a violation of any provision of this part, section 1-101bb or section 1-101nn, shall have the authority to order the violator to do any or all of the following: (1) Cease and desist the violation of this part, section 1-101bb or section 1-101nn; (2) file any report, statement or other information as required by this part, section 1-101bb or section 1-101nn; and (3) pay a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars for each violation of this part, section 1-101bb or section 1-101nn.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the board may, after a hearing conducted in accordance with sections 4-176e to 4-184, inclusive, upon the concurring vote of two-thirds of its members present and voting, impose a civil penalty not to exceed ten dollars per day upon any individual who fails to file any report, statement or other information as required by this part, section 1-101bb or section 1-101nn. Each distinct violation of this subsection shall be a separate offense and in case of a continued violation, each day thereof shall be deemed a separate offense. In no event shall the aggregate penalty imposed for such failure to file exceed ten thousand dollars.
(c) The board may also report its finding to the Chief State's Attorney for any action deemed necessary. The board, upon a finding made pursuant to section 1-82 that a member or member-elect of the General Assembly has violated any provision of this part, section 1-101bb or section 1-101nn, shall notify the appropriate house of the General Assembly, in writing, of such finding and the basis for such finding.
(d) Any person who knowingly acts in such person's financial interest in violation of section 1-84, 1-85, 1-86, 1-86d, 1-86e or 1-101nn or any person who knowingly receives a financial advantage resulting from a violation of any of said sections shall be liable for damages in the amount of such advantage. If the board determines that any person may be so liable, it shall immediately inform the Attorney General of that possibility.
(e) Any employee of the Office of State Ethics or member of the Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board who, in violation of this part or section 1-101nn, discloses information filed in accordance with subparagraph (F) of subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 1-83, shall be dismissed, if an employee, or removed from the board, if a member.
(f) Any civil penalty imposed by the board pursuant to this section may be enforced by the Office of State Ethics as a money judgment in accordance with chapter 906.
(P.A. 77-600, S. 10, 15; P.A. 79-493, S. 6, 9; P.A. 80-483, S. 3, 186; P.A. 81-53, S. 2, 3; P.A. 83-249, S. 9, 14; 83-493, S. 2, 5; 83-586, S. 9, 14; P.A. 84-21, S. 2, 5; 84-546, S. 143, 173; P.A. 88-139, S. 3; 88-317, S. 41, 107; P.A. 94-132, S. 4; P.A. 04-38, S. 3; 04-198, S. 4; 04-204, S. 5; P.A. 05-183, S. 13; 05-287, S. 30, 42; P.A. 13-244, S. 13; P.A. 17-235, S. 7; P.A. 18-137, S. 19.)
History: P.A. 79-493 provided for civil penalty for failure to file required information; P.A. 80-483 made technical changes; P.A. 81-53 amended Subsec. (c) to require the commission to notify the general assembly of its findings and their basis in the event of a violation by a member of the general assembly; P.A. 83-249 amended Subsec. (b) to require concurring vote of five members; P.A. 83-493 added Subsec. (d) creating liability for damages on the part of any person who knowingly acts in his pecuniary interest in violation of certain code provisions or knowingly receives a pecuniary advantage resulting from a violation of those sections; P.A. 83-586 added Subsec. (e) establishing penalties for disclosure of confidential information contained in financial statements; P.A. 84-21 changed “pecuniary” interest to “financial” interest and made technical changes in Subsecs. (d) and (e); P.A. 84-546 made technical change in Subsec. (a); P.A. 88-139 made technical change in Subsec. (e); P.A. 88-317 substituted “4-176e” for “4-177” in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings commencing on or after that date; P.A. 94-132 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by changing maximum penalty from $1,000 to $2,000; P.A. 04-38 amended Subsec. (a) to increase the civil penalty from $2,000 to $10,000 and amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical change and increase the maximum aggregate penalty from $2,000 to $10,000, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-198 applied provisions to Sec. 1-86d, effective June 3, 2004 (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (c) a reference to “part I of chapter 10” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “this part” for consistency with customary statutory usage); P.A. 04-204 amended Subsec. (b) to increase vote required for imposition of civil penalty from five to seven members and to make a technical change, effective June 3, 2004; P.A. 05-183 replaced “commission” with “board” throughout the section and amended Subsec. (b) to change the requirement to impose a civil penalty from a concurring vote of seven members to a vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting, Subsecs. (c) and (d) to make technical changes and Subsec. (e) to replace reference to employees or members of the commission with reference to employees of the Office of State Ethics or members of the Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 05-287 added references to Sec. 1-101nn throughout the section and amended Subsec. (b) to change the number of member votes required to impose a civil penalty from seven to six, effective July 1, 2005, and amended Subsec. (e) to delete reference to Sec. 1-83(b)(1)(B), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 13-244 amended Subsec. (d) to apply provisions to Secs. 1-86e and 1-101nn; P.A. 17-235 amended Subsec. (b) to change the number of member votes required to impose civil penalty from six to two-thirds of members and added Subsec. (f) re civil penalty to be enforced as money judgment; P.A. 18-137 amended Subsecs. (a) to (c) to add references to Sec. 1-101bb.
Cited. 229 C. 479.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Title 1 - Provisions of General Application
Section 1-79a. - Calculation of dollar limit on gifts.
Section 1-80a. - Statements filed with commission. Restrictions on use.
Section 1-80e. - Designation of judge trial referees.
Section 1-81a. - Recommended appropriations. Allotments.
Section 1-81b. - Summary of ethics laws re bidders, proposers and state contractors.
Section 1-81c. - Mandatory ethics training for public officials. Frequency. Exception.
Section 1-82b. - Continuation of certain probable cause hearings.
Section 1-84a. - Disclosure or use of confidential information by former official or employee.
Section 1-84b. - Certain activities restricted after leaving public office or employment.
Section 1-85. (Formerly Sec. 1-68). - Interest in conflict with discharge of duties.
Section 1-86e. - Consultants, independent contractors and their employees. Prohibited activities.
Section 1-87. - Aggrieved persons. Appeals.
Section 1-89a. - Conferences on ethical issues.
Section 1-90. - Commission to review oath of office for members of General Assembly.
Section 1-92. - Duties of board and Office of State Ethics. Regulations. Advisory opinions.
Section 1-94. - Lobbyist registration with the Office of State Ethics.
Section 1-95. - Registration procedure. Fees.
Section 1-96. - Financial reports of registrants. Requirements.
Section 1-96a. - Maintenance of substantiating documents. Random audits of registrants.
Section 1-96b. - Filing of registrants' financial reports in electronic form.
Section 1-96c. - Public access to computerized data from financial reports.
Section 1-96d. - Statement whether expenditures for legislative reception are reportable.
Section 1-96e. - Statements of necessary expenses paid or reimbursed by registrants.
Section 1-98. - Appeal from board decision.
Section 1-99. - Authority of board after finding violation.
Section 1-100. - Violations; penalties.
Section 1-101. - Lobbyists to wear badges. Regulations.
Section 1-101bb. - Quasi-public agencies and state agencies prohibited from retaining lobbyists.
Section 1-101mm. - Definitions.
Section 1-101rr. - State agency ethics compliance officers. Duties. Liaisons.