Section 10-16-3 - Ethical principles of public service; certain official acts prohibited; penalty. - New Mexico Statutes

10-16-3. Ethical principles of public service; certain official acts prohibited; penalty.

A.     A legislator, public officer or employee shall treat the legislator's, public officer's or employee's government position as a public trust.  The legislator, public officer or employee shall use the powers and resources of public office only to advance the public interest and not to obtain personal benefits or pursue private interests incompatible with the public interest. 

B.     Legislators, public officers and employees shall conduct themselves in a manner that justifies the confidence placed in them by the people, at all times maintaining the integrity and discharging ethically the high responsibilities of public service. 

C.     Full disclosure of real or potential conflicts of interest shall be a guiding principle for determining appropriate conduct.  At all times, reasonable efforts shall be made to avoid undue influence and abuse of office in public service. 

D.     No legislator, public officer or employee may request or receive, and no person may offer a legislator, public officer or employee, any money, thing of value or promise thereof that is conditioned upon or given in exchange for promised performance of an official act.  Any person who knowingly and willfully violates the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a fourth degree felony and shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978.