When possible, a commissioner who receives a prohibited written ex parte communication shall forward the communication, without reading it, to the commission's executive secretary.
A commissioner who receives and reads a prohibited written ex parte communication shall forward the communication to the commission's executive secretary within 48 hours, along with a signed statement of the source of and circumstances under which the communication was received and read.
If a party or participant makes or attempts to make a prohibited oral ex parte communication to a commissioner, the commissioner shall advise the party or participant who makes or attempts to make the communication that the communication is prohibited and shall immediately terminate the communication. If a prohibited oral ex parte communication takes place, the commissioner who receives the communication shall forward to the commission's executive secretary, within 48 hours, a signed and dated statement that includes the following information:
The commission's executive secretary shall place the statement in the commission's public file within 48 hours, but shall not make the statement part of the record of the pending proceeding. The executive secretary shall serve a copy of the statement on the parties and participants on the commission's official service list. If the statement is voluminous, the executive secretary may serve notice to the parties and participants on the official service list that the statement is available for public inspection at the commission's offices during regular business hours.
Minn. R. agency 138, ch. 7845, EX PARTE COMMUNICATION, pt. 7845.7300
Statutory Authority: MS s 216A.037