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Whether written in law or not, as a whole, our society still seems
capable of understanding right from wrong. To ensure there are no
lapses of judgment by our elected officials, laws have been written
to guide and safeguard behavior so that public trust is maintained.
However, a good attorney can parse words, and we have seen words
parsed down to the lowest degree, such as the defining of what “is” is.
What’s at question in the actions of those previously referenced
goes beyond the letter of the law to that of the
spirit
of the law. While
ethics laws may not encompass every situation where public trust can
be violated, there is the expectation that elected officials, as well as
all members of society, have integrity. Integrity is a characteristic that
reflects honesty and moral principles. We all know integrity is doing
the right thing even in situations where no one else is present to witness
our decisions and actions. Our Commonwealth—our country—has
benefited from public servants who have practiced integrity in their
decisions and actions. Without such moral principle, we will end up
with a society devoid of values and ethical behavior.
As previously stated, time will tell whether citizens of the
Commonwealth deem the aforementioned conduct as unethical,
notwithstanding legal outcomes.What is certain is the need to strengthen
the ethics laws governing the conduct of our elected officials.While we
expect the best of elected officials, we have unfortunately witnessed
examples where the position blinds one to his or her obligation to the
public trust. As is often repeated, “Power corrupts, and absolute power
corrupts absolutely.”
We, as a society, need to recommit ourselves to virtue and good
character, and we need to ensure our ethics laws continue to evolve
in order to provide safeguards to moral lapses and ensure a strong
public trust in our government. Those called forth from society to serve
as elected officials should heed the words of John Adams, “Because
power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character
increase as the importance of the position increases.” We want greater
moral authority and good character, not less.
David Olive is the ninth president of Bluefield College, an ordained
Baptist minister and the chair of the International Association of
Baptist Colleges and Universities.
Much of this year’s gubernatorial
race has focused on each candidate’s
shortcomings and questions about each
candidate’s past decisions. Political
observers might say this is no different
from past campaigns. However, with
present questions surrounding the Office of
the Governor as a backdrop to this election
cycle, this race seems to be accentuating a
central issue that most of society believes is
important—ethics.
Ethics are the threads that bind the fabric of our society. Merriam-
Webster defines ethics as “a set of moral principles; the principles of
conduct governing an individual or a group.” Given what some would
say has been moral decline in our country, we still seem able as a
society to note when ethical guidelines, written or unwritten, have
been broken or violated.
When Bernie Madoff made off with billions of dollars he bilked
from thousands of unsuspecting investors, we seemed to figure out
he crossed an ethical boundary. When former Congressman and New
York City mayoral candidate AnthonyWeiner exposed more than his
policy positions on Twitter, we seemed to know that he crossed a
moral line…and apparently lacked any common sense.
While it appears that perhaps no ethics laws were broken by the
current Governor when reportedly he and his family took more than
$145,000 in personal gifts, cash and loans from a political donor and
his company, time will tell whether society deems such behavior as
having crossed an ethical boundary. The same is true for the Attorney
General who went back to amend four years of required annual state
economic disclosure forms to divulge forgotten gifts of vacations and
a Thanksgiving dinner. The other contender for Virginia’s top job
has been caught in at least one less-than-accurate statement about
GreenTech, and a federal investigation is underway of the company.
Is there veracity and truthfulness evident in all these instances? Or,
are these indiscretions just explained away as misunderstandings,
forgotten oversights, or politics-as-usual?
Over the past several months, Virginia’s ethics and conflict of
interest laws have become the subject of scrutiny and debate. As
leaders in the General Assembly and believers in a responsive and
responsible government, we plan to address these issues during the
2014 General Assembly Session.
We recognize that earning and maintaining the trust of the
citizens we are elected to serve is paramount to providing effective
service and leadership. Virginians have and should continue to hold
their elected officials to high standards because that trust is necessary
for government to function in an orderly and effective manner.
Historically, Virginia has approached government ethics and
financial disclosures differently than many other states. We have
implemented a system that relies on the principles of full disclosure
and complete transparency. We believe this approach works, but we
recognize the need for reform and understand the need to be vigilant
in safeguarding the public trust.
Over the past fewmonths, we have been working to review every
aspect of Virginia’s ethics and disclosure system. That work will
continue throughout the fall and as we head toward the 2014 Session.
When the General Assembly convenes in January, we plan to enact
strong reforms to our transparency and financial disclosure system.
While there are a number of areas that will likely be considered, three
issues in particular must be addressed.
We must reform our system to require disclosure of spousal and
family gifts.We need to review when it is appropriate for a spouse or
family member to be required to disclose a gift, as well as how and
when those disclosures are made. The law should be applied in a way
that is simple and straightforward.
Reporting requirements must be streamlined and reformed. Our
system should encourage transparency, not make it more difficult.
Legislators and lobbyists should be on a similar reporting schedule.
Disclosures should occur more than once per year.
There should be more comprehensive ethics and disclosure
training for legislators, executive branch officials and local and
constitutional officers. We are exploring the idea of mandatory ethics
and disclosure training for incoming lawmakers and new lobbyists, as
well as the creation a continuing education program to ensure officials
stay apprised of changes toVirginia’s ethics and disclosure laws.
Ethics reform is a serious and complicated issue, vitally important
to Virginia’s citizens. These reforms require our full attention and
thoughtful consideration. The legislature must be measured and
responsible in the actions we take. Those actions must be consistent
with Virginia’s transparency first approach. Most importantly, we
cannot let political motivations be the driving force behind our policy
decisions.
We look forward to continuing to explore this issue over the
next several months and presenting our solutions during the 2014
legislative session.
Ethics:
The Threads that Bind the Fabric of Society
By DAvid Olive
Ethics & Disclosure Reform in 2014
By Speaker William J. Howell, Majority Leader M. Kirkland Cox, Caucus Chairman Timothy D. Hugo & Majority Whip Jackson H. Miller
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