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Use by a public official or public employee of the authority of his office or employment or any confidential information received through his holding public office or employment for the private pecuniary benefit of himself, a member of his immediate family or a business with which he or a member of his immediate family is associated.Thus, when faced with a situation where a council member nominated and voted to place her sister on the council to fill an empty position, the state ethics commission had to show [1] that the sister received a pecuniary benefit. Since council members in this town receive only $62.50 per meeting, the sum was small. Had it been a volunteer board or commission, there would have been no conflict of interest at all.
Links
[1] http://www.ethics.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/ethics/8995/the_ethics_act/539789
[2] http://www.cityethics.org/taxonomy/term/5
[3] http://www.cityethics.org/taxonomy/term/39
[4] http://www.cityethics.org/taxonomy/term/43
[5] http://www.cityethics.org/taxonomy/term/50
[6] http://www.cityethics.org/taxonomy/term/65
[7] http://www.cityethics.org/taxonomy/term/67