Ethics: State Ethics Commissions

ALABAMA

State Ethics Commission
James L. Sumner, Jr., Director
Vicky Manning, Lobbyist Liaison
RSA Union Building
100 North Union Street, Suite 104
Montgomery, AL 36104
P: (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: www.ethics.alabama.gov

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
Holly Hill, Director 
2221 E. Northern Lights Boulevard, Room 128
Anchorage, AK 99508
P: (907) 276-4176
Toll free: (800) 478-4176
F: (907) 276-7018
holly.hill@alaska.gov

Alaska Public Offices Commission, created 1974 (Alaska Stat. § 15.13.020)
Web site: http://doa.alaska.gov/apoc/home.html 

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
P: (501) 324-9600
F: (501) 324-9606
Graham.Sloan@mail.state.ar.us

General Email
contactus@arkansasethics.com

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
P: (916) 322-5737
Toll free: 866-275-3772
F: (916) 322-6440
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

Colorado Independent Ethics Commission
Jane T. Feldman, Executive Director
Independent Ethics Commission
633 17th Street, 13th Floor
Denver, CO 80202
P: (303) 866-5727
F: (303) 866-3777
jane.feldman@state.co.us

Colorado Independent Ethics Commission, created 2006 (Colorado Constitution, Article XXIX)
Web site: http://www.colorado.gov/ethicscommission
Members: The Commission is composed of five members: one is appointed by the President of the State Senate, one by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one by the Governor, one by the Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court, and the final member was selected by the other four. The fifth member must be a local government official or employee. No more than two members may be from the same political party. 

Commission has jurisdiction over the Legislative and Executive Branches, certain local and municipal jurisdictions (home rule counties and cities with ethics  codes are excluded), some jurisdiction over lobbyists and independent contractors. 

CONNECTICUT

Office of State Ethics
Carol Carson, Executive Director
18-20 Trinity St.
Suite 205
Hartford, CT 06106-1660
P: (860) 263-2400
F: (860) 263-2402
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
P: (302) 739-2399
F: (302) 739-2398
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://depic.delaware.gov/
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
Physical Address:
3600 Maclay Boulevard, South, Suite 201
Tallahassee, FL 32312

Mailing Address:
P.O. Drawer 15709
Tallahassee, FL 32317-5709
P: (850) 488-7864
F: (850) 488-3077
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

Executive Secretary (vacant as of October, 2009)
200 Piedmont Avenue, SE
Suite 1402 -WestTower
Atlanta, GA 30334
P: (404) 463-1980
F: (404) 463-1988
gaethics@ethics.ga.gov

State Ethics Commission, created 1974 (Ga. Code Ann. § 21-5-1 et seq.)
Web site: http://www.ethics.ga.gov
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
Physical Address:
1001 Bishop Street
ASB Tower, Suite 970
Honolulu, HI 96813
ethics@hawaiiethics.org

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 616
Honolulu, HI 96809
P: (808) 587-0460
F: (808) 587-0470

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
Randy Erford, Executive Director
420 Stratton Building
Springfield, IL 62706
P: (217) 558-1561
F: (217) 557-0505
randye@ilga.gov

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

Thomas J. Homer, Legislative Inspector General
420 Stratton Building
Springfield, IL 62706
P: (217) 558-1560
F: (217) 558-1566
tomh@ilga.gov

Office of the Legislative Inspector General, created 2003. (5 ILCS 430/1)
Web site: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lig/default.asp

Office of the Executive Inspector General

James A.Wright, Executive Inspector General
32 W. Randolph, Suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60601-3414
Toll free: 866-814-113
F: (312) 814-5479

Offce of the Executive Inspector General, created 2003 (5 ILCS 430/ )
Web site: http://inspectorgeneral.il.gov/

INDIANA

Office of the Indiana Inspector General and Indiana State Ethics Commission
David Thomas, Inspector General
150 W. Market St., Ste.414
Indianapolis, IN 46204
P: (317) 232-3850
F: (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.in.gov/ig/
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, created 2005 (Ind. Code 4-2-7)
(Jurisdiction only includes members of the executive branch and its administrative agencies. The OIG staff is what was previously the State Ethics Commission staff. However, the State Ethics Commission remains the ultimate authority on interpreting the Indiana Code of Ethics and any litigation before it.)

Indiana Lobby Registration Commission
Sarah L. Nagy, Executive Director & Counsel
10 W Market St, Ste 1760
Indianapolis, IN 46204
P: (317) 232-9860
F: (317) 233-0077
sarah_nagy@sbcglobal.net

Indiana Lobby Registration Commission, created 1992
Web site: http://www.in.gov/ilrc/

IOWA

Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board
W. Charles Smithson, Executive Director and Legal Counsel
510 E. 12th, Suite 1A
Des Moines, IA50319
P: (515) 281-4028
F: (515) 281-4073
charlie.smithson@iowa.gov

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
P: (785) 296-4219
F: (785) 296-2548
general comments or info: ethics@ethics.ks.gov

Commission on Governmental Standards and Conduct, created 1974 (Kan. Stat. Ann. § 25-4119a). Renamed the Kansas  Governmental Ethics Commission on July 1, 1998.
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
P: (502) 573-2863
F: (502) 573-2929
tony.wilhoit@lrc.ky.gov   

Legislative Ethics Commission, created 1993 (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 6.651)
Web site: http://klec.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.

Executive Branch Ethics Commission
John R. Steffen, Executive Director
#3 Fountain Place
Frankfort KY 40601
P: (502) 564-7954
F:
john.steffen@ky.gov

LOUISIANA

Board of Ethics (Louisiana Ethics Administration Program)
Kathleen Allen, Administrator
Physical Address:
617 North Third Street
LaSalle Building, Suite 10-36
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
P: (225) 219-5600 or (800) 842-6630
F: (225) 381-7271

Mailing Address:
PO Box 4368
Baton Rouge, LA 70821

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
Physical Address:
45 Memorial Circle
Augusta, Maine 04330

Mailing Address:
135 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0135
P: (207) 287-4179
F: (207) 287-6775
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
Robert Hahn, Executive Director
45 Calvert Street, 3^rd Floor
Annapolis, MD 21401
P: (410) 260-7770
F: (410) 260-7747
rhahn@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. Jurisdiction over all state employees.)
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
P: (617) 371-9500
F: (617) 723-5851

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
Civil Service
P.O. Box 30002
Lansing, MI 48909
P: (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
Gary Goldsmith, Executive Director
658 Cedar St., First Floor South
St. Paul, MN 55155-1603
P: (651) 296-1721
F: (651) 296-1722
Gary.goldsmith@state.mn.us

Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, created 1974 (Minn. Stat. § 10A.01 et seq.) (Previously named 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
Physical Address:
Room 103
Burroughs Building
146 East Amite Street
Jackson, MS 39201

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 22746
Jackson, MS 39225-2746
P: (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
Julie Allen, Executive Director (as of 11/17/08)
3411-A Knipp Drive
P.O. Box 1370
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
P: (573) 751-2020
Toll free: (800) 392-8660
F: (573) 526-4506
Julie.allen@mec.mo.gov

Missouri Ethics Commission, created 1991, (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 105.955).
Web site: www.moethics.mo.gov/
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
P: (406) 444-2942
F: (406) 444-1643
dunsworth@mt.gov

Commissioner of Political Practices, created 1975, (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
P: (402) 471-2522
F: (402) 471-6599
frank.daley@nebraska.gov

Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, Created 1976, (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
Caren Jenkins, Esq., Executive Director
3476 Executive Pointe Way
Suite 10 Carson City,
Nevada 89706-7946
P: (775) 687-5469
F: (775) 687-1279
cjenkins@ethics.nv.gov

Nevada Ethics Commission, established in 1975 as the State Ethics Commission, became the Nevada Commission on Ethics in 1985. (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.

NEWJERSEY

New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (Jurisdiction only includes disclosure and election issues)
Jeffrey M. Brindle, Executive Director
P.O. Box 185, Trenton 
New Jersey 08625-0185
P: (609) 292-8700
Toll free: 1 (888) 313-ELEC (3532)

New Jersey Commission of Investigation
Alan A. Rockoff, Executive Director
PO Box 045
Trenton, NJ 08625-0045
P: (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.shtm
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
Kathleen Wiechnik, Esq., Executive Director
28 West State Street, 10th Floor
P.O. Box 045
Trenton, NJ 08625-0045
P: (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).
Website: http://nj.gov/ethics/
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
P: (518) 408-3976
 cpi@nyintegrity.org

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
P: (919) 715-2071
F: (919) 715-1644
ethics.commission@doa.nc.gov

North Carolina State Ethics Commission, created 2007.
Web site: http://www.ethicscommission.nc.gov/ 
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.The State Ethics Commission consists of eight members. Four members are appointed by the Governor, of whom no more than two shall be of the same political party. Four members are appointed by the General Assembly, two upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, neither of whom shall be of the same political party, and two upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, neither of whom shall be of the same political party. Members shall serve for four-year terms, beginning January 1, 2007, except for the initial staggered terms of one, two, three, and four years.

NORTH DAKOTA

No Commission.

OHIO

Ohio Ethics Commission
David E. Freel, Executive Director
8 East Long St., 10th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-2940
P: (614) 466-7090
F: (614) 466-8368
david.freel@ethics.ohio.gov
ethics@ethics.ohio.gov

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.

Office of the Legislative Inspector General (jurisdiction over the legislature)
Joint Legislative Ethics Committee
Tony W. Bledsoe, Executive Director
50 West Broad Street
Suite 1308
Columbus, OH43215
P: 614.728.5100
F: 614.728.5074

Website: www.jlec-olig.state.oh.us/

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma Ethics Commission
Marilyn Hughes
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room B-5
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4812
P: (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.ok.gov/oec/
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 Ethics Commission
Ronald A. Bersin, Executive Director
3218 Pringle Rd. SE, Suite 220
Salem, OR 97302-1544
P: (503) 378-5105
F: (503) 373-1456
ron.a.bersin@state.or.us
ogec.mail@state.or.us

Oregon Government Ethics Commission, created 1974 (Or. Rev. Stat., §§ 244.250-244.345)
Web site: 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
P: (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
ethics@ethics.state.ri.us

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
5000 Thurmond Mall, Suite 250
Columbia, SC 29211
P: (803) 253-4192
F: (803) 253-7539

South Carolina Ethics Commission, created 1975 (S.C. Code Ann. § 8-13-310)
Web site: http://ethics.sc.gov/
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, Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance
Drew Rawlins, Executive Director
404 James Robertson Parkway, Suite 104
Nashville, TN 37243
P: (615) 741-7959
F: (615) 253-8704
drew.ralins@tn.gov
ethics.counsel@tn.gov

Tennessee Ethics Commission was created in 2006 by the Comprehensive Governmental Ethics Reform Act (Tenn. Code Ann. 3-6-101 et seq.) In 2009, by 2009 Public Chapter 556, the Ethics Commission was consolidated with the Registry of Election Finance. Jointly they are called the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance.

Web site: http://www.tennessee.gov/sos/tec/
Members: 6 board members. The Governor, Speaker of the Senate and Speaker of the House each appoint two members, one of the majority and one of the minority party. The Speakers of the Senate and House choose their appointees from a list of three majority and three minority candidates, which are submitted by the caucuses in both chambers. Each gubernatorial appointee is confirmed by a two-thirds vote by each house of the general assembly and each legislative appointee is confirmed by a two-thirds vote by the appointing authority's house. 

 

TEXAS

Texas Ethics Commission
David Reisman, Executive Director
P.O. Box 12070
Austin, TX 78711-2070
P: (512) 463-5800
Toll free: (800) 325-8506
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 least 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 98502-0482
P: (360) 786-7540
F: (360) 786-1553
oconnell_mi@leg.wa.gov

Washington State Legislative Ethics Board (Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 42.52).
Website: http://www.leg.wa.gov/LEB/Pages/default.aspx
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
P: (360) 753-1111
F: (360) 753-1112
vrippie@pdc.wa.gov
pdc@pdc.wa.gov

Washington Public Disclosure Commission, created 1973 by Initiative 273 (Washington Rev. Code 42.17.350).
Web site: http://www.pdc.wa.gov/
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
Theresa Kirk, Executive Director
210 Brooks Street,  Suite 300
Charleston, WV25301
P: (304) 558-0664
Toll free: (866) 558-0664
F: (304) 558-2169
theresa.m.kirk@wv.gov
ethcs@wv.gov

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

Government Accountability Board
Kevin Kennedy, Executive Director
17 West Main Street, Suite 310
PO Box 2973
Madison WI 53701-2973
P: (608) 266-8005
F: (608) 267-0500
gab@wi.gov

The Wisconsin Legislature created the Government Accountability Board (GAB) in January 2007, which assumed the combined responsibilities of the former State Elections Board and the State Ethics Board on January 10, 2008. This was done by 2007 Wisconsin Act 1.
Web site: http://gab.wi.gov/ 
Members: 6 members, all of whom must be former elected judges of a court of record in Wisconsin. The Governor nominates appointees. Three are approved by the Senate and three are approved by the Assembly.

WYOMING

No Commission.