Ethics Commissions/Administration

Election time makes public many ethics situations that make valuable case studies. One involves Florida gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott.

According to an article in the Naples (FL) News, there is reason to believe that Scott's company is being or will soon be investigated by the Florida Department of Health (a complaint has been filed). The...

I learned recently that the Luzerne County (PA) ethics pledge movement, which I wrote about in May and September, is complemented by a draft charter which is to be approved or...

What is the worst local campaign finance violation? According to an article yesterday from the Los Angeles Daily News, it appears to be political money laundering. Mark Abrams, a former Beverly Hills developer, was fined $108,000 yesterday, and $270,000 for similar violations back in 2005.

All ethics oversight cannot be done by an ethics commission. Much oversight needs to be done outside of the complaint process. Even when complaints are made, a lack of proper oversight can leave a big hole in the facts available to an EC. I came across such a situation in yesterday's Bristol (VA) News.

I recently wrote about a situation in Stamford, CT in which probable cause was found based on a policy declaration rather than an enforceable ethics provision. That situation appeared to involve a misunderstanding, with a unanimous ethics commission finding probable cause.

According to...

Four current attempts at ethics reform show the incredible variety of approaches and ideas of what government ethics is.

Prohibiting County Employees from Contracting with the County
According to an article in yesterday's West Hawaii Today, a proposal before the County of Hawai'i council has four provisions, some of them modeled after the city and county of...