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December 23, 2008

Candidate Disclosure in Detroit Becomes a Political Football

What's the best reason for mayoral candidates not to disclose their finances, monies received directly or indirectly from the city, etc.? Just ask some of the candidates running to replace disgraced Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
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Ethics Codes & Reform December 23, 2008

The Holiday Spirit and the Spirit of Ethics Laws

It's pop quiz time. Read the following ethics code provision and hypothetical, and answer the question that follows them.

No public servant shall solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any thing of economic value as a gift or gratuity from any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if such public servant knows or reasonably should know that such person has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant's agency
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Conflicts of Interest December 22, 2008

Miami-Dade County's Cone of Silence, Prohibiting Oral Ex Parte Communications re Contracts

While on the topic of ex parte communications, it's a good time to mention a very special ex parte communications provision, Miami-Dade County's renowned "code of silence" provision. It's also a good time because, according to an article in the Miami Herald, the provision was reconsidered earlier this month by the Budget and Finance Committee of the county commission.
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Conflicts of Interest December 22, 2008

Ex Parte Communications and More Town Attorney Shenanigans

One way to deal with possible conflicts is to nip them in the bud by not allowing any personal communications between officials and interested parties ("ex parte communications"). All communications must be official, either documentary or at formal meetings or negotiations.
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Conflicts of Interest December 21, 2008

Nepotism Isn't About Kennedys

What stronger personal interest is there than family relationships? And yet so many people don't get the problems nepotism in government poses, at least until it takes a chunk out of their wallets.
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Conflicts of Interest December 20, 2008

Government Officials' Charities -- Secretive and Easy to Corrupt

I've written a few times about the ways local government officials misuse charitable organizations (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). But there are still charities-related issues I've missed.
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December 19, 2008

Lots of Good Faith in San Diego, and Still a Conflict of Interest Mess

Update below:
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December 19, 2008

Report on Annual Reports III

There's a national local government annual ethics report that is worthwhile taking a look at. It comes from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), the professional organization of city, county, and town managers. To my knowledge, no other local government executive or legislative professional organization allows ethics complaints to be brought against its members and enforces its code.
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December 19, 2008

Report on Annual Reports II

Because local governments' annual ethics reports serve so many purposes -- publicizing the ethics program's existence, educating officials and the public about what an ethics program includes, and making an example of those who do not file disclosure forms or are found to have participated in unethical conduct -- they should be made as easily, widely, and inexpensively available as possible.

And that means putting them up on the local government's website.
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December 18, 2008

Report on Annual Reports I

Annual reports are, among other things, one of the most important, and overlooked, enforcement mechanisms.
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Local government ethics, explored
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