According to one section of the code, if you ask for an opinion and you get it, that protects you during an investigation by my office. Obviously, it doesn't protect you from the media; that's another matter.
When you give the facts tothe Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, you have to give all the facts. We base our assessment on the facts presented to us. New facts may come out when a journalist takes an interest in an issue. Things can go that way in real life too.
We assess the facts as they are presented to us, we provide the member with an opinion and the member can use it to show good faith. However, a journalist may continue to focus on a situation and damage the member's reputation.