Correcting a Misuse of Office Should Be Encouraged, Not Penalized

Here's an ethics story from Orlando with a good ending. It emphasizes what I wrote recently, that government ethics involves dealing responsibly with conflict situations.

According to an article in today's Orlando Sentinel, an Orlando commissioner's son called her while pulled over by a police officer because, he said, he felt he was being racially profiled. The commissioner called the police chief, and the son was not given a ticket. However, when, later that evening, the commissioner found out why her son was pulled over, she asked to have a ticket sent to her, and she paid it.

This was three years ago. State lawyers accused her of misusing her office and recommended a $10,000 fine. An administrative law judge disagreed, and yesterday the Florida Ethics Commission panel unanimously found that she had not misused her office. But this case has hung over the commissioner for years.

This case should never have gone anywhere, because the commissioner dealt with the problem responsibly. When hearing about racial profiling, she might have misused her office in calling the police chief. But she quickly corrected her conduct by asking for and paying the ticket.

Quick correction of a minor misuse of office such as this should be applauded and encouraged, not penalized. It should be used as an example to the many government officials who, instead of dealing responsibly with conflicts, deny that there is any problem at all.

Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics

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