A.  A local ethics entity, including an ethics review board, shall maintain the confidentiality of records gathered and proceedings conducted during its preliminary investigation of any matters within its jurisdiction.  The local ethics entity or ethics review board shall maintain the confidentiality of records submitted to any law enforcement or regulatory agency for further investigation or for criminal or civil prosecution until such investigation or prosecution has been completed or becomes inactive.  If the local ethics entity decides to issue a report or to file charges after a preliminary investigation, all subsequent records and proceedings in connection with the matter are subject to public review and scrutiny, except as otherwise provided by law.

B.  Any material, records, data, and information compiled by an office of inspector general in an investigation, examination, audit, inspection, or performance review under this Chapter is confidential and privileged and not subject to La. Rev. Stat. 44:1 et seq., until the investigation, examination, audit, inspection, or performance review is complete.  The investigation, examination, audit, inspection, or performance review is not deemed complete if the office of inspector general has submitted material, records, data, and information from or the results of such investigation, examination, audit, inspection, or performance review to any other law enforcement or regulatory agency for further investigation or for the filing of criminal or civil prosecution, and if such investigation or prosecution has not been completed or become inactive.

C.  Except for the completed reports, findings, advisories, letters, and recommendations of investigations, audits, inspections, performance reviews, qualitative assurance reviews, peer reviews, annual operating budgets, and annual office reports, the records prepared or obtained by the ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general shall be deemed confidential and privileged and protected from disclosure pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 44:3.  In order to maintain the confidentiality of such materials, the ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general may meet and make decisions in executive session.  No privilege established by law shall be deemed waived on any record obtained by the ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general in connection with the performance of duties established by this Chapter.  Any record or information obtained by the ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general which is confidential or privileged pursuant to any other provision of law shall remain confidential or privileged, and it shall be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, for the ethics entity, ethics review board, or office of inspector general or any designated staff member or any other public official, corporation, or individual to make public any such information or record.

D.  The provisions of this Section shall not prevent access during the course of an inspector general investigation to public records that are not otherwise privileged or confidential.  The custodian of any public record shall provide such record to any person having the right to examine public records.  If the only copy of such public record is in the hands of the inspector general, the custodian of that record shall so certify, and the requestor may examine and copy the record at the office of the inspector general.

E.  Notwithstanding Subsections B and C of this Section, the legislative auditor shall have the authority to examine, audit, inspect or copy all records compiled, prepared or obtained by the ethics entity, ethics review board or office of inspector general, including but not limited to all books, accounts, papers, documents, records, files, instruments, films, tapes, and any other forms of recordation, including but not limited to computers and recording devices, whether confidential, privileged or otherwise.  However, the legislative auditor shall comply with all restrictions imposed by law on documents, data, or information deemed confidential and privileged by law and furnished to the legislative auditor.

Acts 2008, 1^st Ex. Sess., No. 18, §1, eff. April 26, 2008; Acts 2010, No. 861, §15; Acts 2012, No. 838, §1, eff. June 14, 2012.