Ethics board: Lawmaker can’t immediately seek gift shop job

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's ethics board says state law prohibits a term-limited House member from immediately working as the Legislature's gift shop clerk when his term ends in January.

Ponchatoula Republican Rep. Steve Pugh asked for an opinion about whether he could seek the job as Capitol Foundation coordinator. The position oversees sales of state-related souvenirs at the Louisiana Capitol.

In the opinion sent Monday, the ethics board told Pugh the ethics code prohibits him from applying for the job for two years after his term ends, because the Capitol Foundation isn't a separate entity from the House of Representatives.

A month earlier, the board decided Rep. Nancy Landry can run for House clerk when her term ends next year. Board members drew a distinction because the clerk's job is elected, not appointed.