The Ethics Commission offers formal and informal advice to Legislators on ethical issues, such as:
- accepting gifts, travel, and other things of value,
- conflicts of interest (influencing legislation in which the Legislator has a unique and distinct interest),
- engaging in employment that could impair the Legislator’s judgment or create conflicts of interest,
- appearing for another in a matter before a state agency, and
- other topics within the Legislative Ethics Law.
Members of the public may file complaints alleging specific violations of legislative ethics. The complaint must be in writing and signed under oath. The Commission will only consider complaints against a Legislator who is in office at the time the complaint is filed. The complaint must be based on activities of the Legislator that occurred or were ongoing within two years of the complaint. The person filing the complaint must also agree in writing not to disclose any information about the complaint while the Commission is deciding whether to investigate.
For more information, please refer to the Legislative Ethics Law, the Legislative Ethics Handbook, or call the Commission at 287-4179.