Ethics Commissions/Administration

September 4, 2009

Quote of the Day: Everybody Does Not Do It

"I must say regretfully that ... what I have heard is a statement I can only describe as arrogant, unrepentant, and a smear on this institution. Everybody does not do it. Members of this body attempt, by word and deed, publicly and privately, to take great care with their personal conduct as it m…

June 30, 2009

RI Supreme Court Prefers Speech in Debate Clause to Constitutional Authority of Ethics Commission Over Legislators

The Rhode Island Supreme Court has reached a decision on the legislative immunity case (Irons v. RI Ethics Commission) involving the state ethics commission and the state legislature. As expected, its majority opinion (it was a 3-1 split) concluded that the state's Speech in Debate Clause 100% over…

Ethics Commissions & Administration June 9, 2009

The Selection of Ethics Commission Members by Community Organizations

Nothing is more important to an ethics program than ensuring that an ethics commission is seen as independent, and not a pawn of politicians. People will not trust the advisory opinions and enforcement decisions of an ethics commission consisting of people with even presumed ties to politicians. Si…

Ethics Commissions & Administration May 26, 2009

In Dependence: Ethics Directors, Their Commissions and Politicians

One of the big stories in government ethics this week involves an attempt in Tennessee to consolidate the state ethics and campaign finance commissions, which on its face sounds like a good way to save money during these tough times. But when politicians deal with ethics laws and bodies, things are…

May 22, 2009

An Undisciplined Nevada Supreme Court Legislative Immunity Decision

To those who read my recent blog entry, it will come as no surprise that, yesterday, the Nevada Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the District Court's ruling in the Nevada legislative immunity case (the Order of Affirmation, in searchable form, is attached to this blog entry below). What's most fa…

Ethics Commissions & Administration May 7, 2009

The Importance of Publicizing Ethics Programs

If the governmental ethics community had a publicity program, the headline of a front-page article in Tuesday's Kansas City Star would be a call to arms: Legislators agree: Ethics laws are puppies, not pit bulls The gist of the article is that, in Missouri and Kansas, the state ethics commissions a…

Ethics Commissions & Administration May 4, 2009

Legislative Immunity: The Courts Are Wrong to Not Distinguish Ethics Enforcement from Prosecution and Civil Suits

One thing that keeps striking me about the recent decisions in the legislative immunity cases relating to government ethics is how little they attempt to distinguish cases outside the ethics field from these cases in the ethics field. Is government ethics no different from criminal prosecution, no …

Ethics Commissions & Administration March 5, 2009

Against the Whole Thing

It's refreshing when an elected official attacks government ethics head-on. This is what Tennessee state representative Willie "Butch" Borchert did in an impromptu speech yesterday, according to an Associated Press report. He wants to do away with the state ethics commission altogether, arguing tha…

Ethics Commissions & Administration January 30, 2009

Rationalization and Initiative in the Ethics Sphere

When it really comes down to it (and it usually does), what is the greatest enemy of trust in government, or anywhere else for that matter? Greed, power, ego, loyalty? I'd put my money on (or against) rationalization, the ability of people to justify what they do and fail to do. Here's what got me …

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