§ 23-149. Claiming of privilege or other exemption from requirement to report.

(a)

Any person required to file who claims a privilege or exemption recognized under law from a requirement to report or disclose any information which said person is otherwise required to include in a financial disclosure statement under this division shall state the nature, source and legal basis for said privilege or exemption on the financial disclosure statement.

(b)

A person required to file who claims a privilege or exemption under this section shall generally describe the nature of the privilege or exemption and the nature of the business relationship between the person required to file and the source of income for which the privilege or exemption is requested, and said person shall deliver this information in writing to the parish attorney on or before the deadline for submittal of said person's financial disclosure statement. The parish attorney may require the person claiming a privilege or exemption to provide more detailed information regarding the matter for which the person is claiming the privilege or exemption if the parish attorney deems that the information originally submitted in this regard is insufficient to allow the parish attorney to ascertain the validity of the claim of privilege or exemption.

(c)

The parish attorney shall review all information provided in accordance with this section and shall report to the council his opinion as to whether the information is legally privileged or exempt from the requirement to report and disclose such information under this division; and whether, in his opinion, the information indicates that the person submitting the information is in violation of any applicable law or ethical regulation.

(d)

Any and all information submitted to the parish attorney in accordance with the provisions of the section under a claim of privilege or exemption shall not be included in the financial disclosure statement of the person submitting said information and shall not be considered to be a public record, unless and until the parish attorney delvers in writing to the council his opinion that the information so submitted is not legally exempt from disclosure under any legally recognized privilege or under any exemption pursuant to the Public Record Law under the provisions of Chapter 1 of Title 44 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.

(Ord. No. 23831, § 1, 6-9-10)