Here's an interesting case study from Council Bluffs, IA. According to an article in yesterday's Daily Nonpareil, there is an issue involving whether a new county board member who sits on the board of the Iowa West Foundation has a conflict of interest. The foundation hands out big grants from thre…

How do you deal with a department head who helps creates a conflict of interest problem that does not apply to him personally? Few ethics codes contain complicity provisions that deal with this problem. The City Ethics Model Code complicity provision begins: "No one may, directly or indirectly, ind…

For all you local government legislative immunity fans, here's a case you'll enjoy (other local government ethics people should find it interesting, as well). A Virginia state senator has sued members of a city council for what they did in their legislative capacity, despite the fact that she knows…