(a) The Commissioner, the Commissioner's Deputy, or any examiner, assistant or employee of the Department, shall not be connected with the management of, nor have a material financial interest in, directly or indirectly, any insurer, insurance agency, or broker or insurance transaction, except as policy holder or claimant under a policy; except that as to matters wherein a conflict of interest does not exist on the part of any such individual, the Commissioner may employ or retain from time to time insurance actuaries, examiners, accountants, attorneys or other technicians, who are independently practicing their profession even though from time to time they are similarly employed or retained by insurers or others.
(b) The Commissioner, the Commissioner's Deputy, or any examiner, assistant, employee or technician retained by the Department, shall not be given nor receive, directly or indirectly, any fee, compensation, loan, gift or other thing of value, in addition to the compensation and expense allowance provided by or pursuant to the law of this State, or by contract with the Commissioner, for any service rendered or to be rendered as such Commissioner, Deputy, examiner, assistant, employee, or technician, or in connection therewith.
(c) Subsection (a) of this section shall not be deemed to prohibit receipt by any such person of fully vested commissions or fully vested retirement benefits to which entitled by reason of services performed prior to becoming Commissioner or prior to employment by the Commissioner.
(d) This section shall not be deemed to prohibit appointment and functioning of the Commissioner as process agent of insurers or of nonresident licensees as provided for in this title.