I am a volunteer board member. Does the Ethics Ordinance protect me from being solicited for a political campaign contribution?
No. The Ethics Ordinance (PDF: 76K) prohibition only applies to solicitations made to City employees. It does not address the solicitation of contributions from members of City boards, commissions, task forces, or advisory bodies. While a provision in the Municipal Code does prohibit members of the Ethics Commission from being solicited for political campaign contributions, there are no local regulations in place that prevent the solicitation of other board or commission members. You should be aware, however, that the San Diego City Attorney has issued a formal opinion (PDF: 40K) concluding that California law (Government Code section 3205) prohibits public officials and candidates from soliciting political campaign contributions from board and commission members who are required to file an annual Statement of Economic Interests.
Related Questions
- How is a contribution received by a political committee using a commercial fundraising firm to be reported on the committee’s campaign disclosure report?
- I am a volunteer board member. Does the Ethics Ordinance protect me from being solicited for a political campaign contribution?
- Does the Fair Political Practices Commission enforce the Ethics Ordinance?
