BOSTON (AP) -The state’s chief technology officer was cleared of any wrongdoing or potential conflicts of interest following the Romney administration’s review of out-of-state trips he made without written approval.

Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said Peter Quinn, director of the state’s Information Technology, obtained verbal permission for the trips, most of which were sponsored by technology and information companies.

Eric A. Kriss, who was secretary of administration and finance at the time Quinn traveled to the conferences, said he approved the trips and relieved Quinn of the responsibility to fill out the required paperwork.

A 1995 regulation requires state officials to obtain prior approval from their superiors for any business travel they want to make when the expenses are being paid by private individuals or companies.

However, Kriss said he felt the reason the regulation had been put in place – the fiscal crisis of the mid-1990s had cut out all state-funded travel – had expired.

“I knew of every trip Peter was taking, and I approved them all,” Kriss told The Boston Globe.

Kriss also said Quinn was in demand at the conferences because of the state’s decision to move to an open, proprietary-free format for storing electronic documents.

Massachusetts is the first state to take the step, and it is being closely watched by the information technology industry because the switch is seen as a challenge to Microsoft’s market-dominating Office software.

“People in other states were anxious to hear about the Massachusetts experience,” Kriss said.

Fehrnstrom said Kriss’ replacement, Thomas Trimarco, has asked Quinn to fill out the needed paperwork for the trips. Trimarco also is reminding other officials about the law.

“Secretary Trimarco is sending out a memorandum to all state agencies that that requirement remains in place and needs to be followed,” Fehrnstrom said.

-Associated Press