Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 10 - Codes of Ethics
Section 1-88. - Authority of board after finding violation. Prohibition against disclosure of information. Enforcement of civil penalties.

(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

Connecticut General Statutes

Title 1 - Provisions of General Application

Chapter 10 - Codes of Ethics

Section 1-79. - Definitions.

Section 1-79a. - Calculation of dollar limit on gifts.

Section 1-80. - Office of State Ethics. Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board. Members; appointment; qualifications; vacancies; compensation; restrictions. Hearings.

Section 1-80a. - Statements filed with commission. Restrictions on use.

Section 1-80b to 1-80d. - State Ethics Commission member serving as Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board member; Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board member appointment by Governor. Appointment of interim executive director. Transfer of State Ethics Commission...

Section 1-80e. - Designation of judge trial referees.

Section 1-81. - Duties of the board, Office of State Ethics. Employment of executive director, general counsel, ethics enforcement officer. Legal and enforcement divisions of the Office of State Ethics. Regulations. State personnel training in ethics...

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 1-82. - Complaints. Procedure. Time limits. Investigation; notice; hearings. Attorneys' fees. Damages for complaints without foundation.

Section 1-82a. - Confidentiality of complaints, evaluations of possible violations and investigations. Publication of findings.

Section 1-82b. - Continuation of certain probable cause hearings.

Section 1-83. - Statements of financial interests. Filing requirements. Ethics statements. Confidentiality. Waiver.

Section 1-84. (Formerly Sec. 1-66). - Prohibited activities. Exception re employment of immediate family at constituent unit.

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 1-84c. - Donation of goods or services to state or quasi-public agencies. Reporting requirement.

Section 1-84d. - Foundations or alumni associations established for the benefit of a constituent unit of public higher education or technical education and career school.

Section 1-85. (Formerly Sec. 1-68). - Interest in conflict with discharge of duties.

Section 1-86. - Procedure when discharge of duty affects official's or state employee's financial interests. Lobbyists prohibited from accepting employment with General Assembly and General Assembly members forbidden to be lobbyists.

Section 1-86d. - Legal defense fund established by or for a public official or state employee. Reports. Contributions.

Section 1-86e. - Consultants, independent contractors and their employees. Prohibited activities.

Section 1-87. - Aggrieved persons. Appeals.

Section 1-88. - Authority of board after finding violation. Prohibition against disclosure of information. Enforcement of civil penalties.

Section 1-89. - Violations; penalties. Disciplinary powers of the legislature, agencies and commissions. Civil action for damages.

Section 1-89a. - Conferences on ethical issues.

Section 1-90. - Commission to review oath of office for members of General Assembly.

Section 1-90a. - Exemption re student public official or state employee of a public institution of higher education. Policies and procedures re standards of student conduct.

Section 1-91. - Definitions.

Section 1-92. - Duties of board and Office of State Ethics. Regulations. Advisory opinions.

Section 1-93. - Complaints. Procedure. Time limits. Investigation; notice; hearings. Damages for complaints without foundation.

Section 1-93a. - Confidentiality of complaints, evaluations of possible violations and investigations. Publication of findings.

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 1-97. - Restrictions on activities of registrants and lobbyists. Contingent compensation prohibited. Report to recipient required.

Section 1-98. - Appeal from board decision.

Section 1-99. - Authority of board after finding violation.

Section 1-100. - Violations; penalties.

Section 1-100b. - Suspension or revocation of communicator lobbyist's registration. Finding by Office of State Ethics.

Section 1-101. - Lobbyists to wear badges. Regulations.

Section 1-101a. - Prohibition re employment as lobbyist by public official or state employee convicted of a crime related to state or quasi-public agency office.

Section 1-101aa. - Provider participation in informal committees, task forces and work groups of certain state agencies not deemed to be lobbying.

Section 1-101bb. - Quasi-public agencies and state agencies prohibited from retaining lobbyists.

Section 1-101mm. - Definitions.

Section 1-101nn. - Solicitation of information not available to other bidders from public official or state employee by contract bidder or contractor. Charging agency for work not performed. Information concerning donation of goods and services to st...

Section 1-101oo. - Jurisdiction over nonresidents. Secretary of the State as process agent. Service of process.

Section 1-101pp. - Reporting of ethics violations by state or quasi-public agency heads or deputies and persons in charge of state agency procurement, contracting or human resources.

Section 1-101qq. - State ethics law summary provided to persons seeking large state construction or procurement contract. Representation of agreement to comply in contract. Summary and representation re subcontractors and consultants. Failure to incl...

Section 1-101rr. - State agency ethics compliance officers. Duties. Liaisons.