RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS [Abstract]

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

NOTE 14 – RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Mr. Michael Houghton currently serves as a director.  During 2021, Mr. Houghton was a Partner in the law firm of Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP, or MNAT, in Wilmington, Delaware.  Mr. Houghton retired from MNAT as a Partner, effective January 1, 2022, however, Mr. Houghton continues to perform legal services for MNAT as an independent contractor and non-partner.  In the normal course of business, the Company utilized the services of MNAT in 2021 for various regulatory, real estate and public policy matters.  Approximately $89,000 and  $160,000 was paid to MNAT during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively, for legal services and director related services.

As set forth in the Charter of the Audit Committee of the Board, the Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing and, if appropriate, approving all related party transactions between us and any officer, any director, any person known to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of the Company's voting securities or any other related person that would potentially require disclosure.  In its review and approval of the related party transactions with MNAT, the Audit Committee considered the nature of the related person's interest in the transactions; the satisfactory performance of work contracted with the related party prior to the election of Mr. Houghton as a director; and the material terms of the transactions, including, without limitation, the amount and type of transactions, the importance of the transactions to the related person, the importance of the transactions to the Company and whether the transactions would impair the judgment of a director or officer to act in the best interest of the Company.  The Audit Committee approves only those related person transactions that are in, or are consistent with, the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.