In Through the Out-Door: Conflicts of Interest in Private-To-Public Service, Revolving Door Statues, and Ethical Considerations

Abstract

This comment discusses the missions and roles of the Attorney General’s Office, the Ethics Commission, and other agencies concerning revolving door and conflict of interest statutes. It starts with background information about Texas’s regulatory agencies for attorneys, then it provides an overview of the different types of conflicts of interest and damages and penalties resulting thereof. The focus is the interpretation of the statutes for state agency officials and employees, with some additional comment on attorneys operating in state government. Lastly, it provides some recommendations for improving the conflicts of interest and revolving door statutes.