US State Ethics Commissions Resources in United States
US State Ethics Commissions Resources
In the ten states that do not have ethics commissions – Arizona, Idaho, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming – external oversight can be provided through other state agencies such as the Office of the Secretary of State or Attorney General.
ALABAMA
State Ethics Commission
James L. Sumner, Jr., Director
Diane Lewis, Lobbyist Liaison
RSA Union Building
100 North Union Street, Suite 104
Montgomery, AL 36104
T: (334) 242-2997
F: (334) 242-0248
info@ethics.alabama.gov
Alabama Ethics Commission, created 1974 (Ala. Code § 36-25-1 to 36-25-3)
Web site: http://www.ethics.alalinc.net/
Members: 5 members, all residents of the state. Members appointed by governor, lt. governor, speaker; confirmed by senate. Not eligible for membership: a public official, a candidate, a registered lobbyist and his/her principal, a former employee of the commission.
ALASKA
Alaska Public Offices Commission
Brooke Miles, Executive Director
2221 E. Northern Lights Boulevard #128
Anchorage, AK 99508
T: (907) 276-4176
F: (907) 276-7018
brooke_miles@admin.state.ak.us
Alaska Public Offices Commission, created 1974 (Alaska Stat. § 15.13.020)
Web site: http://www.state.ak.us/apoc/index.htm
Members: 5 members appointed by Governor, subject to confirmation by a majority of the legislature meeting in joint session. Two members from each political party that received the most votes in the most recent governor election, to be chosen from a list of four names provided by the central committee of each party. Not eligible for membership: public official, candidate, officer of a political party, political committee or group, lobbyist. Commissioner may not participate in political campaigns or contribute to political campaigns.
ARIZONA
No Commission
ARKANSAS
Arkansas Ethics Commission
Graham Sloan, Director
P.O. Box 1917
Little Rock, AR 72203-1917
T: (501) 324-9600
F: (501) 324-9606
Graham.Sloan@mail.state.ar.us
Arkansas Ethics Commission, created 1991 (Ark. Code. Ann. § 7-6-217)
Web site: http://www.arkansasethics.com/
Members: 5 members appointed by Governor, Attorney General, Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tem of the Senate. At least one person of a minority race, one woman, and one person of a minority political party must be on the commission. A member may not be a public official, elected official, candidate, lobbyist, or an officer or employee of a political party. Commissioners may not participate in political fundraising.
CALIFORNIA
California Fair Political Practices Commission
John Matthews,
Information Officer
428 J St. Suite 620
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-322-5737 / 916-322-4236 fax
jmatthews@fppc.ca.gov
California Fair Political Practices Commission, created 1975 (Cal. Govt. Code § 83100 to 83124)
Web site: http://www.fppc.ca.gov/
Members: The Fair Political Practices Commission is a bi-partisan (and in practice, a non-partisan) independent body of five members which oversees a staff of 80 in administration, technical assistance, legal and enforcement divisions. Two commissioners are appointed by the governor: the commission chair, and one other member who must be a registered voter of another political party. The secretary of state, the attorney general and the state controller each appoint one commissioner. If all three of the constitutional officials are members of the same political party, the state controller selects the new commissioner from a list provided by another political party. The commission meets each month to hear public testimony, issue opinions, adopt regulations and decide penalties for violations of the Act. Each member serves a single four-year term. The chairman is salaried and serves full-time. The other four commissioners are part-time and paid a $100 per diem for each meeting.
COLORADO
Commission currently in the process of being created.
CONNECTICUT
Office of State Ethics
Carol Carson, Executive Director
18-20 Trinity St.
Suite 205
Hartford, CT 06106-1660
Telephone: 860-566-4472
Fax: 860-566-3806
ose@ct.gov
Office of State Ethics, created 2005 (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-80 et seq.) (formerly Connecticut State Ethics Commission)
Web site: http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp
Members: The 9-member Citizen’s Ethics Advisory Board is part of the Office of State Ethics. Three members are appointed by governor, 1 by the speaker of the House, 1 by the House majority leader, 1 by the House minority leader, 1 by the Senate president pro tem, 1 by the Senate majority leader, and 1 by the Senate minority leader. All members shall be electors of the state. No member shall be a state employee. No member or employee of such board shall (1) hold or campaign for any public office; (2) have held public office or have been a candidate for public office for a three-year period prior to appointment; (3) hold office in any political party or political committee or be a member of any organization or association organized primarily for the purpose of influencing legislation or decisions of public agencies; or be a lobbyist.
DELAWARE
Delaware State Public Integrity Commission
Janet A. Wright, Commission Counsel
Margaret O’Neil Building
410 Federal Street, Suite 3
Dover, DE 19901
T: (302) 739-2399
Jwright@state.de.us
State Public Integrity Commission, created 1994 (formerly called the State Ethics Commission) (Del. Code Ann. tit. 29, § 58.)
Web site: http://www.state.de.us/pic/
Members: 7 members, appointed by Governor with concurrence of Senate. No more than 4 of the same party. Members may not hold or be a candidate for public office or hold a political party office.
FLORIDA
Florida Commission on Ethics
Phillip Claypool, Executive Director
2822 Remington Green Circle, Suite 101
P.O. Drawer 15709
Tallahassee, FL 32317-5709
850-488-7864 / 850-488-3077 fax
http://www.ethics.state.fl.us/
Florida Commission on Ethics, created 1974 (Fla. Stat. § 112.320 – § 112.326).
Web site: http://www.ethics.state.fl.us/
Members: 9 members. 5 appointed by Governor (not more than 3 from the same party, and at least one must have been a city or county official), subject to confirmation by the Senate; 2 appointed by Speaker of the House; 2 by President of the Senate. Neither shall appoint more than one person from the same political party. Members can’t hold other public office while serving.
GEORGIA
State Ethics Commission
Rick Thompson, Executive Director
205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, SE
Suite 478 – East Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334
P:(404)-463-1986
F:(404) 463-1988
ethics@ethics.state.ga.us
State Ethics Commission, created 1974 (Ga. Code Ann. § 21-5-1 et seq.)
Web site: http://www.ethics.state.ga.us/
Members: 5 members. Three (no more than two from same party) appointed by the governor for a four term; one appointed by the lieutenant governor for a four-year term; one appointed by the Speaker of the House for a four-year term. Persons who have run for or held federal, state or local office in the previous five years are ineligible. Officers of political parties are ineligible.
HAWAII
State Ethics Commission
Dan Mollway, Executive Director
1001 Bishop Street, P.O. Box 616
Honolulu, HI 96809
808-587-0460 / 808-587-0470 fax
ethics@hawaiiethics.org
State Ethics Commission, created 1968 (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 84-21.)
Web site: http://www.state.hi.us/ethics/index.html
Members: 5 members appointed by the governor from a panel of ten persons who are nominated by the judicial council. Members may not hold any other public office.
IDAHO
No commission.
ILLINOIS
Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission
Debbie Lounsberry, Executive Director
420 Stratton Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Telephone: (217) 558-1561
Fax: (217) 557-0505
Legislative Ethics Commission, created 2004 (5 Ill. Comp. Stat. 430/25-5)
Web site: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lec/default.asp
Members: Eight commissioners appointed 2 each by the President and Minority Leader of the Senate and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
Illinois Executive Ethics Commission
Chad Fornoff, Executive Director
401 S. Spring
William Stratton Building
Springfield , IL 62706
217-558-1393
eec@cms.state.il.us
Executive Ethics Commission, created by Executive Order in 2004
Web site: http://www.ag.state.il.us/government/ethics.html
Members: Nine, appointed by the state constitutional officers
Office of the Legislative Inspector General
Office of the Executive Inspector General
INDIANA
Indiana State Ethics Commission
Mary Lee Comer, Director
150 W. Market St., Ste.414
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Telephone: (317) 232-3850
Fax: (317) 232-0707
ethics@ethics.state.in.us
Indiana State Ethics Commission, created 1974 (Ind. Code 4-2-6-2) Revised 2005.
(Jurisdiction only includes members of the executive branch and its administrative agencies.)
Web site: http://www.state.in.us/ethics/
Members: 5 members, appointed by Governor. No more than three members shall be of the same political party. Members may not hold an elected or appointed office, be employed by the state, or be a registered lobbyist.
Office of the Indiana Inspector General
David Thomas, Inspector General
150 W. Market St., Ste.414
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 232-3850
Office of the Indiana Inspector General, created 2005
Web site: http://www.in.gov/ig/index.html
(Jurisdiction only includes members of the executive branch and its administrative agencies.)
Indiana Lobby Registration Commission
Sarah L. Nagy, Executive Director & Counsel
10 W Market St, Ste 1760
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Telephone: (317) 232-9860
Fax: (317) 233-0077
sarah_nagy@sbcglobal.net
Indiana Lobby Registration Commission, created 1992
Web site: http://www.in.gov/ilrc/INlaw/index.html
IOWA
Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board
Charlie Smithson
514 E. Locust St., Suite 104
Des Moines, IA 50309
P:515-281-3489
F:515-281-3701
Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, created 1973 (Iowa Code § 68B.32)
Web site: http://www.state.ia.us/government/iecdb/
Members: 6 members, appointed by Governor. Membership must be balanced as to political affiliation.
KANSAS
Governmental Ethics Commission
Carol E. Williams, Executive Director
109 SW 9th St, Suite 504
Topeka, KS 66612-1287
T: 785-296-4219
F: 785-296-2548
mailto:Csmiths@max.state.ia.us
Commission on Governmental Standards and Conduct, created 1974 (Kan. Stat. Ann. § 25-4119a)
Website: http://www.accesskansas.org/ethics/
Members: 9 members comprised of prominent community leaders and business professionals from around the state. 2 appointed by governor, one by president of the senate, one by speaker of the house, one by the minority leader of the house, one by the minority leader of the senate, one by the chief justice of the supreme court, one by the attorney general and one by the secretary of state. Not more than 5 members shall be of the same political party, and the two members appointed by the governor may not be members of the same party.
KENTUCKY
Legislative Ethics Commission
Judge Anthony M. Wilhoit, Executive Director
22 Mill Creek Park
Frankfort, KY 40601
T: 502-573-2863
F: 502-573-2929
tony.wilhoit@lrc.ky.gov
Executive Branch Ethics Commission
Jill LeMaster, Executive Director
Room 258, Capitol Annex
Frankfort, KY 40601
T: (502) 564-7954
F: (502) 564-2686
Jill.LeMaster@mail.state.ky.us
Legislative Ethics Commission, created 1993 (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 6.651)
Web site: http://klec.ky.gov/ / http://ethics.ky.gov/
Members: 9 citizens (members of General Assembly not eligible), not less than 3 must be members of the state’s largest minority party. Speaker of the House and President of the Senate each appoint four members; Legislative Research Commission appoints one member. Each member must be a resident of the Commonwealth, and may not be a public servant, a candidate for public office, a legislative agent or an employer of a legislative agent, or a spouse or child of any of these individuals while serving on the commission. In the two years immediately preceding the date of his appointment, a member may not have served as a fundraiser for a candidate for Governor or the General Assembly.
LOUISIANA
Board of Ethics (Louisiana Ethics Administration Program)
Richard Sherburne, Jr.
2415 Quail Drive, Third Floor
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
T: (225) 922-1400 or (800) 842-6630
F: (225) 922-1414
Board of Ethics, created 1996 (La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 42:1132 et seq.) (Replaced the Board of Ethics for Elected Officials and the Commission on Ethics for Public Employees)
Web site: http://www.ethics.state.la.us/
Members: 11 members: 7 appointed by governor (at least one from each congressional district); 2 each appointed by House and Senate. All appointments made from among nominees submitted by the state’s 8 private universities.
MAINE
Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices
Jonathan Wayne, Executive Director
135 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0135
207-287-4179 / 207-287-6775 fax
Jonathan.Wayne@maine.gov
Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, created 1976 (Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 1, § 1002)
Web site: http://www.state.me.us/ethics/
Members: 5 members appointed by governor from nominations submitted by the general public, groups, and organizations; subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over legal affairs and confirmation by the Legislature. No more than two members may be from the same political party. No legislator or member of the previous legislature may be a member. No candidates for or holders of county, state, or federal office and no officers of political parties or committees can be members.
MARYLAND
State Ethics Commission
Suzanne S. Fox
9 State Circle, Suite 200
Annapolis, MD 21401
T: (410) 974-2068
F: (410) 974-2418
sfox@gov.state.md.us
State Ethics Commission, created 1979 (Md. Code Ann., State Gov’t Art. § 15-101 et seq.)
(Jurisdiction includes legislators on some issues, but not all. For example, jurisdiction includes public financial disclosure requirements of legislators, but does not include conflict-of-interest violations. However, the Maryland Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics has jurisdiction over legislators with respect to conflicts-of-interest.)
Web site: http://ethics.gov.state.md.us/
Members: 5 members. Governor appoints three with the advice and consent of the Senate; at least one of the three must be of the principal political party of which the Governor is not a member. President of the Senate and Speaker of the House each appoint one. Members cannot hold office in, be an employee of, or be a candidate for office in federal or state government, a municipal corporation, a county or multi-county agency of the state, or a political party. Can’t be a lobbyist.
MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts State Ethics Commission
Karen L. Nober, Executive Director
The John W. McCormack Building
One Ashburton Place
Room 619
Boston, MA 02108
T: (617) 371-9500
State Ethics Commission, created 1978 (Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. chs. 268A & 268B)
Web site: http://www.state.ma.us/ethics/
Members: 5 members (no more than three from same political party). Three appointed by governor, one by state secretary, one by attorney general. Members cannot hold or be a candidate for public office, hold office in any political party or committee, participate in or contribute to political campaign of any candidate for public office.
MICHIGAN
Michigan State Board of Ethics
Janet McClelland, Executive Secretary
State Board of Ethics
Michigan Department of Civil Service
P.O. Box 30002
Lansing, MI 48909
517-373-3644
ethicsboard@michigan.gov
Michigan Board of Ethics, created 1973 (Mich. Comp. Laws § 15.341 et seq.)
Web site: http://www.michigan.gov/mdcs/0,1607,7-147-32705—,00.html
(Jurisdiction does not include members of the legislative or executive branch.)
Members: 7 members. Governor appoints with advice and consent of the senate. Not more than four may be members of the same political party. All members must be residents of the state and not associated with public employment. Attorney General and state personnel director serve ex officio without right to vote.
MINNESOTA
Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board
Jeanne Olson, Executive Director
658 Cedar St., First Floor South
St. Paul, MN 55155-1603
T: 651-296-1721
F: 651-296-1722
jeanne.olson@state.mn.us
Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, created 1974 (Minn. Stat. § 10A.01 et seq.) (Used to be called Ethical Practices Board)
Web site: http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/
Members: 6 members; appointed by the Governor; confirmed by a three-fifths vote of each house of the legislature. One member must be a former legislator from the same political party as the governor; two members must be individuals who have not been public officials, held any political party office, or elected to public office in the previous three years; and the other two members must not support the same political party. No member may currently serve as a lobbyist.
MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Ethics Commission
Tom Hood, Executive Director
P.O. Box 22746
Jackson, MS 39225-2746
T: 601-359-1285
F: 601-354-6253
info@ethics.state.ms.us
Mississippi Ethics Commission, created 1979 (Miss. Code Ann. § 25-4-1 et seq.)
Web site: http://www.ethics.state.ms.us/
Members: 8 members; each must be a qualified elector of the state. 2 appointed by each of the following officers: Governor, Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House, Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court. Not more than one person appointed by each authority shall be an elected official.
MISSOURI
Missouri Ethics Commission
3411-A Knipp Drive
P.O. Box 1370
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
Phone: (573)751-2020 or 1-800-392-8660
Fax: (573)526-4506
mec@mail.state.mo.us
Missouri Ethics Commission, (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 105.955).
Web site: http://www.moethics.mo.gov/Ethics/Generalinfo/Generalinfo.aspx
Members: 6 members, appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. No more than three members may be from one political party; no more than one member from any US congressional district. No member shall hold or be a candidate for public office during his/her term. During term and for one year after, no member may be a lobbyist, serve on any other government board or commission, be an officer of any political party or political organization, or participate in any way in any election campaign.
MONTANA
Commissioner of Political Practices
Dennis Unsworth, Commissioner
1205 8th Ave.
P.O. Box 202401
Helena MT 59620-2401
T: 406-444-2942
F: 406-444-1643
mailto:ghiggins@state.mt.gov
Commissioner of Political Practices, (Mont. Code Ann. 13-37-101, et seq.)
Web site: http://politicalpractices.mt.gov/
Members: 5 members, all residents of Montana. A member may not be a public official, public employee, lobbyist or lobbyist’s principal, member of the immediate family of any of the preceding. The state is divided into four districts for the purpose of selecting commissioners; a commissioner must be appointed from each district. The majority and minority leader of each house each designate one commissioner. The four commissioners then choose the fifth commissioner within 20 days after their designation. If they fail to do so within that period, a majority of the Supreme Court selects the fifth commissioner.
NEBRASKA
Accountability and Disclosure Commission
Frank J. Daley, Jr. Executive Director
P.O. Box 95086
Lincoln, NE 68509
T: 402-471-2522
F: 402-471-6599
fdaley@mail.state.ne.us
Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 49-1401 et seq.)
Web site: http://nadc.nol.org/
Members: 9 members, including the Secretary of State. Eight other members appointed as follows: 4 members appointed by Governor — one from each of two lists submitted by the Legislature (each list must contain at least five individuals), and two members from the citizenry of the state at large; 4 members appointed by the Secretary of State — one from a list of at least five individuals submitted by the Democrat state chairperson, one from a list of at least five individuals submitted by the Republican state chairperson, and two members from the citizenry at large. Governor and Secretary of State must make their appointments in such a manner as to assure that not more than four of the eight appointed members of the commission shall be from the same political party and at least one member shall be registered as an independent.
NEVADA
Nevada Ethics Commission
Stacy Jennings, Executive Director
3476 Executive Pointe Way
Suite 16 Carson City,
Nevada 89706-7946
P: (775) 687-5469
F: (775) 687-1279
mailto:ncoe@ethics.state.nv.us
Nevada Ethics Commission, (Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 281.411 – 281.581)
Web site: http://ethics.nv.gov/
Members: Members: 8 members. Four appointed by legislative commission; four appointed by governor. All must be residents of the state. Of the four appointed by the legislature and the governor, two must be former public officers and one must be an attorney licensed to practice law in Nevada. Not more than four members of the commission may be members of the same political party, and not more than four members may be residents of the same county. None of the members may hold another public office; be actively involved in the work of any political party or political campaign; or lobby. Four-year terms; not more than two consecutive terms. (See NRS 281.455.)
NEW HAMPSHIRE
No Commission.
NEW JERSEY
New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (Jurisdiction only includes disclosure and election issues)
Frederick M. Herrmann, Ph.D., Executive Director
28 W. State Street, 13th Floor
Trenton, NJ 08625-0185
T: (609) 292-8700
New Jersey Commission of Investigation
Alan A. Rockoff, Executive Director
PO Box 045
Trenton, NJ 08625-0045
T: (609) 292-6767
F: (609) 633-7366
New Jersey Commission of Investigation, created 1968 (N.J. Stat. Ann. § 52:9M-1, et seq.)
Web site: http://www.state.nj.us/sci/index.html
Members: 4 members. Two appointed by the Governor, one by the President of the Senate, and one by the Speaker of the House of the General Assembly. Three members must be attorneys admitted to the bar of New Jersey. Members may not hold public office or public employment. Not more than two may be members of the same political party.
State Ethics Commission
Rita L. Strmensky, Esq., Executive Director
28 W. State Street
Room 1407
P.O. Box 082
Trenton, New Jersey 08625
T: (609) 292-1892
F:(609) 633-9252
State Ethics Commission was created in 1973 to administer and enforce the New Jersey Conflicts of Interest Law, N.J. Stat. Ann. § 52:13D-12 et seq., and was renamed the State Ethics Commission, effective March 15, 2006. The Commission also administers and enforces several sections of the Casino Control Act, N.J.S.A. 5:12-1 et seq., and has administrative authority granted by the Governor by Executive Orders 189 (Kean, 1989), 41 (Codey, 2005), 65 (Codey, 2005), 68 (Codey, 2005), and 1 (Corzine, 2006).
Members: The Commission consists of four public members, not more than two of whom shall be of the same political party, and three Executive Branch employees appointed by the Governor. Executive Branch members serve at the pleasure of the Governor during the term of the Governor appointing the member and until the member’s successor is appointed and qualified. Public members serve for staggered terms of four years and until the appointment and qualification of their successors. The Governor designates one public member to serve as chairman and one member to serve as vice-chairman of the Commission.
The Commission has the power to undertake investigations and hold hearings regarding alleged violations of the Conflicts Law. The Commission also issues advisory opinions concerning whether a given set of facts and circumstances would in the Commission’s opinion constitute possible violations of the Conflicts Law or any code, rules or regulations promulgated pursuant thereto.
NEW MEXICO
No Commission.
NEW YORK
New York State Public Integrity Commission
Herbert Teitelbaum, Executive Director
540 Broadway
Albany, New York 12207
T: (518) 408-3976
The New York State Public Integrity Commission, created 2007.
Web site: http://www.nyintegrity.org/
Members: Thirteen members. Seven members, including the Chair are selected by the Governor and six members are appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the Attorney General, the Comptroller, and the four Legislative Leaders. No more than four of the seven members appointed by the Governor can belong to the same political party.
NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina State Ethics Commission
Perry Y. Newson
1324 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1324
T: (919) 807-4620
F: (919) 807-4619
NORTH DAKOTA
No Commission.
OHIO
Ohio Ethics Commission
David E. Freel, Executive Director
8 East Long St., 10th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-2940
T: 614-466-7093
F: 614-466-8368
info@jlec-olig.state.oh.us
Ethics Commission, created 1974 (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 102.01 et seq.)
(Jurisdiction excludes legislators and the Judicial Branch)
Web site: http://ethics.ohio.gov/ethicshome.html
Members: 6 members, three from each of the two major political parties, to be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate.
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma Ethics Commission
Marilyn Hughes
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room B-5
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4812
T: 405-521-3451
F: 405-521-4905
Marilyn.Hughes@ethics.state.ok.us
Oklahoma Ethics Commission, created 1990 (Oklahoma Constitution Article XXIX.)
Web site: http://www.ethics.state.ok.us/home.html
Members: 5 private citizens, one each appointed by Governor, President Pro Tem of the Senate, Speaker of the House, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Attorney General. No more than 3 can be of the same political party.
OREGON
Oregon Government Standards and Practices Commission
Ronald A. Bersin, Executive Director
100 High Street, SE, Suite 220
Salem, OR 97310-1360
T: (503) 378-5105
F: (503) 373-1456
ron.bersin@state.or.us
Oregon Government Ethics Commission, created 1974 (Or. Rev. Stat., §§ 244.250-244.345)
Web site: http://www.gspc.state.or.us/
Members: 7 members. Three appointed by governor, one each by the majority and minority parties in each house of the Legislative Assembly. No person holding public office may be appointed and no more than four members may be of the same political party.
PENNSYLVANIA
State Ethics Commission
John J. Contino,
Executive Director
309 Finance Building
P.O. Box 11470
Harrisburg, PA 17108-1470
T: 717-783-1610
F: 717-787-0806
ra-ethicswebmaster@state.pa.us
Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, created 1979 (65 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 401 et seq.)
Web site: http://www.ethics.state.pa.us/ethics/site/default.asp
Members: 7 members, one appointed by each of the following: President Pro Tem of the Senate, Minority Leader of the Senate, Speaker of the House, Minority Leader of the House. Governor appoints three members without confirmation; no more than two shall be of the same political party. No appointee shall have served as an officer in a political party for one year prior to his appointment. Can’t hold or campaign for any other public office, hold office in any political party or committee, actively participate in or contribute to any political campaign, lobby, be employed by the Commonwealth.
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Ethics Commission
Kent A. Willever, Executive Director
40 Fountain Street
Providence, RI 02903
P: 401-222-3790
F: 401-222-3382
Rhode Island Ethics Commission created by R.I. Gen. Laws. §§ 36-14-8 – 36-14-14.
Web site: http://www.ethics.ri.gov/
Members: 9 members appointed by the governor, one each from lists submitted by the majority leader of the senate, the minority leader of the senate, the speaker of the house, the majority leader of the house, and the minority leader of the house, and four without regard to the lists. No member shall hold or campaign for any other public office, hold office in any political party or committee, participate in or contribute to any campaign, have held or been a candidate for elective public office for one year prior to appointment.
SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina Ethics Commission
Herbert R. Hayden, Jr. Executive Director
500 Thurmond Mall, Suite 250
Columbia, SC 29211
T: (803) 253-4192
F: (803) 253-7539
South Carolina Ethics Commission, created 1975 (S.C. Code Ann. § 8-13-310)
Members: 9 members. Appointed by the Governor, upon advice and consent of the General Assembly. One member shall represent each of the six congressional districts, and three members must be appointed from the State at large. No member of the General Assembly or other public official shall be eligible to serve on the State Ethics Commission.
SOUTH DAKOTA
No commission.
TENNESSEE
Tennessee Ethics Commission
Tennessee Ethics Commission
SunTrust Bank Bldg.
201 4th Avenue N. Suite 1820
Nashville, TN 37243
T: 615-253-8634
F: 615-253-8704
Registry of Election Finance
Drew Ralins
404 James Robertson Pkwy, Suite 1614
Nashville, TN 37219
T: (615) 741-7959
F: (615) 532-8905
Drawlin@state.tn.us
Tennessee Registry of Election Finance, created 1989 (Tenn. Code Ann. §2-10-201, et seq.)
Members: 7 board members. The Governor appoints 3 of the members, with 1 of the appointees representing the majority party, 1 representing the minority party, and 1 appointee from an organization that has demonstrated a nonpartisan interest in fair elections and informed voting. The remaining members of the Registry are appointed by the House and Senate. The Senate has the authority to appoint two (2) members with one (1) member being chosen by the Senate Democratic Caucus and the other being appointed by the Senate Republican Caucus. Likewise, the House is empowered to appoint two (2) members to the board, with one (1) appointee being chosen by the House Democratic Caucus and the other appointee being made by the House Republican Caucus. Appointees of the Senate caucuses are subject to confirmation by the full Senate, and the appointees of the House caucuses are subject to confirmation by the full House.
TEXAS
Texas Ethics Commission
David Reisman, Executive Director
P.O. Box 12070
Austin, TX 78711-2070
T: (512) 463-5800
F: (512) 463-5777
Texas Ethics Commission, created 1991 (Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. § 571; Texas Const. Art. 3, § 24a.)
Web site: http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/
Members: 8 members: 2 members of different political parties appointed by Governor from a list of at least 10 names submitted by the house of representatives; 2 members of different political parties appointed by Governor from a list of at least 10 names submitted by the senate; 2 members from different political parties appointed by Lt. Governor, from a list of at least 10 names submitted by the senate; and 2 members from different political parties appointed by the Speaker of the House, from a list of at lest 10 names submitted by the members of the house. A member may not be a candidate for elective office for 12 months after serving on the commission.
UTAH
No commission.
VERMONT
No Commission.
VIRGINIA
No Commission.
WASHINGTON
Washington State Legislative Ethics Board
Mike O’Connell, Counsel
P.O. Box 40482
Olympia, WA 98504-0482
T: (360) 786-7540
F: (360) 786-7520
oconnell_mi@leg.wa.gov
Washington State Legislative Ethics Board (Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 42.52).
Members: 9 members: 2 senators, appointed by president of the senate; 2 representatives, appointed by speaker of the house; five citizen members, appointed by governor and selected from lists submitted by each of the four legislative caucuses and the citizen members of the legislative ethics board.
Washington Public Disclosure Commission
Vicki Rippie, Executive Director
711 Capitol Way #206
Olympia, WA 98504-0908
T: (360) 753-1111
F: (360) 753-1112
vrippie@pdc.wa.gov
Washington Public Disclosure Commission, created 1973 by Initiative 273 (Washington Rev. Code 42.17.350).
Members: 5 members, appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate. No more than 3 members shall identify with the same political party. Members may not hold or campaign for elective office; serve as an officer of any political party or political committee; permit his or her name to be used in support of or in opposition to a candidate or proposition; solicit or make contributions to a candidate or in support of or in opposition to any candidate or proposition; participate in any way in any election campaign; or lobby, employ, or assist a lobbyist, except that a member or the staff of the commission may lobby to the limited extent permitted by RCW 42.17.190 on matters directly affecting this chapter.
WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia Ethics Commission
Richard M. Alker, Executive Director
1207 Quarrier St.
Charleston, WV 25301
T: 304-558-0664
F: (304) 558-2169
Lsuchy@gwmail.state.wv.us
West Virginia Ethics Commission, created 1989 (W.V. Code § 6B-2-1).
Web site: http://www.wvethicscommission.org/
Members: 12 part-time citizen members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. No more than 7 may be of the same political party. No member may hold elected of appointed office or be a candidate for office. A member may contribute to a political campaign, but may not hold any political party office or participate in a campaign. At least two members must have served in the Legislature; at least two must have been employed in full-time elected or appointed state office; at least one must have been employed full-time as a county or municipal officer or employee; at least two must have served part-time as a member or director of a state, county or municipal board, commission or public service district; and at least four members must be selected from the public at large. No more than four members may reside in the same congressional district.
WISCONSIN
Wisconsin Ethics Board
Roth Judd, Executive Director
44 E. Mifflin St., Suite 601
Madison, WI 53703-2800
T: 608-266-8123
F: 608-264-9319
ethics@ethics.state.wi.us
Wisconsin Ethics Board, created 1973 (Wis. Stats. Ann. §§ 19.41 – 19.58)
Web site: http://ethics.state.wi.us/
Members: 6 members, appointed by Governor with confirmation by the Senate. Members may not be a candidate for partisan office or a member of a political party or partisan political organization, an officer or employee of state or local government.
WYOMING
No Commission.