New York State's Moreland Commission to Investigate Public
Corruption filed <a href="http://publiccorruption.moreland.ny.gov/sites/default/files/moreland_re…; target="”_blank”">a
preliminary report</a> on Monday. Most of the report involves
state campaign finance and election laws, but many of these laws

It was pointed out to me by Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law
School Los Angeles, that back in 2000 John Copeland Nagle, a
professor at Notre Dame Law School, wrote a law review article
suggesting what I call the Westminster Approach to campaign
contributions from those seeking benefits from the recipient
official's government. The article, which focuses on Congress, is

The long-running <i>Carrigan</i> case (<i>Carrigan I</i>, that is) may have finally come to an
end. And it's a very good end. After the U.S. Supreme Court threw
out Carrigan's absurd argument that a council member has a First
Amendment free speech right to vote on legislative matters where he is conflicted, the Nevada Supreme Court
concluded that, if a council member chooses not to seek ethics advice
and votes on a matter involving someone with whom he has a special

In New York State, lawyers are once again insisting that they are an
exception to ethics laws. The Moreland Commission, a special
investigatory commission called by the governor and consisting of
district attorneys and other law enforcement officials, has
subpoenaed the employers of several state legislators. According to
<a href="http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20131122/NEWS01/311220039&q…; target="”_blank”">an

<a href="http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2013/11/louisiana_should_make_vi…; target="”_blank”">An

Now that Tallahassee's mayor has opposed all of the recommendations
from a special ethics advisory panel (attached; see below),
according to <a href="http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20131120/NEWS/131120012/Raw-video-Ta…; target="”_blank”">an

It should be heartening to announce that the head of an important
good government organization has been appointed to the North
Carolina Ethics Commission. But sadly, it is not.<br>
<br>
Francis X. De Luca is the president of <a href="http://www.nccivitas.org/&quot; target="”_blank”">the Civitas Institute</a>, which
has taken strong stands for improving North Carolina's state ethics
program. He is, therefore, someone who should understand government

Maryland has a rule that local ethics ordinances must require the disclosure of all an elected
official's real property, stocks, and bonds. According to <a href="http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/local/mount-airy-tables-ethics-o…; target="”_blank”">an

Many people think that lawyers make
the best ethics commission members. In fact, many ethics codes
require that at least some members of an ethics commission be
lawyers.<br>
<br>
However, lawyers are the individuals most likely to have
relationships and obligations that conflict with the obligations
they have as EC members. For example, they often have relationships
with elected officials, who are often lawyers themselves, as well as
with clients who seek special benefits from the local government.

<a href="http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/opinion/our-view/x1997481126/When…; target="”_blank”">A
Bakersfield <i>Californian</i> editorial on Saturday</a> points out the kinds of conflict situation that arise when, to save money, a
coroner office is brought into a sheriff or police department
office.<br>
<br>