I recall talking about this issue with colleagues a year ago and now that the campaign season is really heating up, the State Elections Enforcement Commission has decided to interpret the new campaign finance law by saying that campaigns must put disclaimers on their social sites. I’m totally in favor of full transparency but Yikes - do they understand that this would eat up your entire Twitter character allowance?
read more ››Update on Office of State Ethics Board Meeting Today
July 22nd, 2010The Citizens Advisory Board of the office of State Ethics met today and covered several issues of interest. Of particular note to the lobbying and state contractor community were two items. The first was the Legal Division’s request of the Board to issue and Advisory Opinion on the question of whether or not a state employee or public official may receive funding from a non-restrictive donor to attend a conference or other educational opportunity. Second, the OSE had been criticized by the media in the spring for failing to issue a press release when a public official paid a penalty for a late filing of their statement of financial interest (SFI). Executive Director Carol Carson provided the Board with a Press Release Policy for the agency which stated that, while current policy is to issue a release for action brought under CGS 1-82 or CGS 1-93 that result in a probable cause finding or a public resolution only, going forward the agency will be adding new features to its website that will post when a public official or lobbyist has violated UAPA or 1-82 or 1-93.
read more ››Interview with Carol Carson, Executive Director of the Office of State Ethics
July 13th, 2010Carol Carson was appointed by the Citizens Ethics Advisory Board to serve as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Office of State Ethics in December 2007. I asked Carol to reflect on her first two years at the Office of State Ethics and to talk a little about the projects she is looking forward to tackling next.
read more ››Update on Office of State Ethics
June 21st, 2010As we head into the summer months, the Office of State Ethics has a lot going on of interest to the regulated community. As we posted last week, the agency drew 40 names of client lobbyists who will be subject to audit during the coming months. In addition, a recent email notified public officials that they will for the second year be auditing a 10% sample of their Statements of Financial Interest or SFIs. At last week’s Advisory Board meeting, Executive Director Carol Carson reported to the members that the Enforcement Division would begin sending out notices to public officials 30 days after a report has been filed by a lobbyist indicating that a benefit for that public official has been made. Finally, the Board members discussed the need to find replacements for the three open seats on the nine-member Advisory Board.
read more ››Office of State Ethics Draws 40 Lobbyists Names for Audits This Afternoon
June 17th, 2010The Office of State Ethics Chair, Thomas Dooley, had the honor of drawing the names of 40 lobbyists out of a box today for random audit by the agency’s enforcement division. As part of their annual ritual, he read each name and the staff checked to make sure that each client lobbyist hadn’t been audited within the last three years. Ethical Influence has conducted plenty of audits and helped clients prepare for these OSE reviews. While no one wishes to have their name selected, an audit is always an opportunity to learn how to keep better records and how to streamline your internal procedures so that reporting can be done more efficiently and accurately.
read more ››Office of State Ethics Update – Next Audit June 17th / Past Chairman Pays Fine / Registration Fee Increased
June 4th, 2010Since the last OSE Board meeting, there have been a few developments that impact the regulated community. First, in an effort to move the lottery drawing of clients for audit closer to the registration period, the Office of State Ethics will be conducting this year’s drawing on June 17th as opposed to its July meeting [...]
read more ››In the adsence of a state mandate, towns do need a code of ethics
May 19th, 2010A recent controversy in the idyllic town of Washington Connecticut has led some to argue for that municipality to adopt an ethics code. The problem arose when the First Selectman’s son was made the caretaker of the town’s beach house by local officials, even though several others were interviewed for the position. Now folks in town are crying foul over the conflict of interest and calling for the adoption of a code.
read more ››OSE News – Lobbyist online face book?
May 11th, 2010The Office of State Ethics held its End of the Session Wrap-Up today at the state capitol and, although it was sparsely attended, some interesting information was discussed by the Executive Director and staff of the agency that regulates lobbyists in Connecticut, including the development of a lobbyist face book and the enforcement of monthly client lobbyist financial reporting.
read more ››Senate Minority leaders continue to hold ethics bills hostage - clock ticking
May 3rd, 2010There are two more days left in the 2010 legislative session and the Minority leaders in the Senate continue to hold several important ethics bills hostage. They are using the same tactic they employed last year - an amendment calling for the establishment of a bipartisan ethics panel - to keep the Majority Democrats from calling any of the bills up for a vote.
read more ››Will public officials’ statements of financial interests be posted online?
April 20th, 2010A bill before the General Assembly has moved through its latest hurdle, the Appropriations Committee, and is now awaiting a vote on the Senate floor. It wouldn’t be surprising if SB 289, AN ACT CONCERNING THE ONLINE SUBMISSION AND POSTING OF STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL INTERESTS, succumbed to a similar fate of many of last year’s ethics reform [...]
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