(a) Appellant shall mean the recipient of a denial by the executive director for deletion or exemption of certain information from a financial disclosure statement or for exemption from filing a financial disclosure statement who wishes to appeal or has appealed that denial to the members of the commission.

(b) Client filer shall mean:

(c) Commission shall mean New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics established pursuant to Executive Law section 94, which may delegate the authority to act as provided in these rules and regulations to its executive director.

(d) Executive director shall mean executive director of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics as appointed pursuant to Executive Law section 94(9)(a).

(e) Financial disclosure statement shall mean annual statement of financial disclosure which is required to be filed pursuant to Public Officers Law section 73-a.

(f) Hearing officer shall mean the presiding officer in adjudicatory hearings conducted pursuant to this Part and in accord with SAPA.

(g) Hearing shall mean any adjudicatory proceeding held by the commission to determine whether a violation of Public Officers Law sections 73, 73-a or 74 or Civil Service Law section 107 or article 1-A of the Legislative Law has occurred.

(h) Respondent shall mean statewide elected officials, any State officer or employee, members of the legislature or legislative employees, candidates for legislative and statewide offices, and political party chairs covered by Public Officers Law sections 73, 73-a or 74 or Civil Service Law section 107, or any lobbyist or client, as such terms are defined in article 1-A of the Legislative Law, who receives a written notice from the commission pursuant to section 941.3 of this Part.