Complaints/ Investigations/Hearings

July 17, 2012

A Miscellany

It's amazing how much local government ethics activity there is in this July. Here is a miscellany of issues that have arisen in just the last few days. Subpoena Power According to an article yesterday on the WFPL website, the Louisville ethics commission has been trying unsuccessfully to get subpo…

Enforcement & Complaints July 6, 2012

The Effect of Ethics Violations on Job Prospects

Should an ethics violation be an impediment to future jobs? In general, I don't think so, especially when the violation was handled responsibly, that is, without a denial, cover-up, and costly, unnecessary investigation and hearing process. But sometimes ethics violations involve much more than the…

Ethics Commissions & Administration July 2, 2012

The Need for Ethics Oversight of COGs

They have various names, such as councils of governments (COGs), joint powers authorities (JPAs), and regional councils or commissions, but whatever names they have, these local government associations are often left outside of both local and state government ethics programs. And yet, as the term "…

Enforcement & Complaints June 12, 2012

Outside Auditors and Local Government Ethics

Despite writing this blog for six years, I keep finding important areas of government ethics that I have not discussed. One such area involves dealing with the possible conflicts of outside auditors. Large cities and counties have internal auditors or comptrollers, but most local governments employ…

Ethics Commissions & Administration June 6, 2012

Ethics Guidance For and Jurisdiction Over Independent Agencies

Independent agencies are more likely than regular government agencies to get into trouble, because they are usually more closed and less supervised. And yet officials too often listen to agencies' calls for independence from ethics programs, as if the "independence" meant something positive that sh…

Enforcement & Complaints May 18, 2012

Using Confidentiality as a Smokescreen

It's Attack the Ethics Commission week once again, this time in New York State. According to an April 16 article in the Albany Times-Union, a mayor from one party filed a complaint against the deputy majority leader of the New York Senate, who is a member of the other party. The complaint is includ…

April 22, 2012

What We Can Learn from Walmart's Extensive Bribery in Mexico

Today, the New York Times ran a length investigatory report on Walmart's extensive bribery of local Mexican officials intended to rush through permits and zoning approvals, reduce environmental impact fees, and gain the allegiance of these officials. The Independence of Investigators The report rai…

Enforcement & Complaints March 23, 2012

Reward and Investigation Tips from Ireland

A few days too late for St. Patrick's Day, today's Irish Examiner has a wonderful story about catching officials involved in ethical misconduct relating to land use. It's an old story, but new to me, and probably new to you, as well. The occasion of the article is the publication of a 3,270-page re…

Conflicts of Interest February 17, 2012

The Conflicts of a Newspaper Owner with Governmental Interests

Newspapers aren't called the fourth estate for nothing. But in cities these days, they are more like the third estate, more important, that is, than the clergy. In fact, their investigations and editorials can bring down mayors, council presidents, even parties. Local dailies may be losing money ha…

Enforcement & Complaints November 19, 2011

Making Your Own Good Luck

Imagine this story. A mayor calls a group of local contractors and developers to a closed meeting on furthering economic growth in the city. The guests are given a welcome pack, and in the welcome pack is a plain brown, unmarked envelope. The mayor ran on a platform of stopping corruption, but the …

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