Companies and individuals doing business in Illinois should be aware of an executive order – Executive Order 15-09 – signed this week by Governor Bruce Rauner that, among other things, imposes new limitations on the acceptance of gifts by state employees.  Illinois state employees are generally prohibited by statute from accepting any gift from a “prohibited source.”  5 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 430/10-10.

“Prohibited sources” include entities that or individuals who are seeking official action from the applicable state agency, are conducting or seeking to do business with the applicable state agency, are regulated by the applicable state agency, are Illinois lobbyists, or who are immediate family members of any individuals falling into the preceding categories.  Id. 430/1-5.   The statute, however, contains exemptions that allow prohibited sources to provide state employees with $75 worth of food and refreshments, per day, that are catered or consumed where they were purchased or prepared, gifts worth less than $100 in the aggregate per year, and travel for certain educational purposes and to discuss state business.   Id. 430/10-15.  Governor Rauner’s executive order provides that state employees may not rely on these exceptions to accept gifts.

Executive Order 15-09 also imposes restrictions on the ability of state employees to become lobbyists after leaving state employments, expands financial disclosure requirements for certain state employees, and adds new procedures for the review of state employment contracts.

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Photo of Brendan Parets Brendan Parets

Brendan Parets helps organizations resolve their most sensitive problems involving legal, political, and public relations challenges. He deploys his experiences in a Senate leadership office, as the chief legal officer for a presidential campaign, and representing organizations in Department of Justice and administrative…

Brendan Parets helps organizations resolve their most sensitive problems involving legal, political, and public relations challenges. He deploys his experiences in a Senate leadership office, as the chief legal officer for a presidential campaign, and representing organizations in Department of Justice and administrative investigations and in civil litigation to provide holistic advice that reflects business and political imperatives.

Brendan represents corporations and individuals facing congressional and administrative investigations. He also assists organizations with policy matters before Congress and counsels corporations, non-profit entities, and political committees on compliance with federal and state campaign finance laws.

Brendan rejoined Covington after serving as Chief Counsel to Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ), where he oversaw Senator McSally’s work on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Brendan also managed judiciary, commerce, telecommunications, tax, and trade issues for Senator McSally. He worked closely with Senate leadership, committees of jurisdiction, and executive branch agencies to achieve bipartisan compromise on judicial nominations, reform of Department of Homeland Security grant programs, and trade disputes.

He previously served as Chief Counsel to Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Policy Counsel to the Senate Republican Policy Committee, a Senate leadership office chaired at the time by Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), and as Chief Counsel to Senator Lindsey Graham’s presidential campaign.