Ethics panel’s value goes beyond fines

The Daily Herald editorial (“State ethics math does not compute”) demonstrated a gross misunderstanding of the responsibilities and purpose of the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission, as well as a grievous oversimplification of the price of unethical behavior in state government. The editorial advanced a specious premise that the commission’s value to taxpayers is compromised because operating costs have exceeded the total amount of fines imposed on state employees during our seven-year history.

The General Assembly intended the nine-member commission to be a quasi-judicial authority which would both judge and deter unethical behavior of employees in 70 separate state executive agencies and five executive branch constitutional offices. The commission’s adjudicatory role is but a single silo of activity in a multi-silo operation. Other commission responsibilities include:

Ÿ Advocating for meaningful ethics reform.

Ÿ Reviewing hundreds of EIG investigation reports.

Ÿ Publishing decisions and founded reports.

Ÿ Overseeing annual ethics training of 150,000 State employees.

Ÿ Advising 70 separate agency ethics officers on the correct interpretation and proper application of the ethics law.

The legislature has seen fit to expand the commission’s responsibilities. The commission now oversees the state’s $9 billion annual procurement process, has jurisdiction over employees and board members of the Regional Transit Boards, and likely will soon assume oversight of the Illinois Power Authority, a measure awaiting the governor’s approval.

The quality of justice and the cost of ethical behavior are measured beyond a dollar amount of fines imposed on the guilty. It is also measured on the protection provided to the innocent and the deterrent effect on those wondering whether unethical acts are worth the price of being caught.

Given the ethics scandals that have convulsed Illinois in recent history, the value of having a body to police against a repeat of that history is: priceless.

MaryNic Foster

Chairperson

Illinois Executive Ethics Commission