Additional Purchasing Conflicts of Interest

Pursuant to T.C.A. § 12-4-114, no public officer or employee who is involved in making or administering a contract on behalf of a public agency may derive a direct benefit from the contract except as provided in this section, or as otherwise allowed by law.

Furthermore, no public employee having official responsibility for a procurement transaction is allowed to participate in that transaction on behalf of the public body when the employee knows that:

1. The employee is contemporaneously employed by a respondent to a solicitation or contractor involved in the procurement transaction;
2. The employee, the employee's spouse, or any member of the employee's immediate family holds a position with a respondent to a solicitation, a contractor involved in the procurement transaction, such as an officer, director, trustee, partner or the like, or is employed in a capacity involving personal and substantial participation in the procurement transaction, or owns or controls an interest of more than five percent (5%);
3. The employee, the employee's spouse, or any member of the employee's immediate family has a pecuniary interest arising from the procurement transaction; or
4. The employee, the employee's spouse, or any member of the employee's immediate family is negotiating, or has an arrangement concerning, prospective employment with a respondent to a solicitation or contractor involved in the procurement transaction.

A public officer or employee who will derive a direct benefit from a contract with the public agency the officer or employee serves, but who is not involved in making or administering the contract, cannot attempt to influence any other person who is involved in making or administering the contract.

No public officer or employee may solicit or receive any gift, reward, or promise of reward in exchange for recommending, influencing, or attempting to influence the award of a contract by the public agency the officer or employee serves.

As used in this section, "immediate family" means spouse, dependent children or stepchildren, or relatives related by blood or marriage.