ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - Local public servants learning about Ohio ethics laws this morning as a representative of the Ohio Ethics Commission is in town.
Dozens of township, village, city, and county elected and appointed officials attended a session reviewing the Ohio ethics laws. As public servants, they have a responsibility to comply with the law. The two most common violations the ethics commission sees are people who sell goods and services to their own public office and nepotism. The criminal liability for violations can range from 1st-degree misdemeanors to 4th-degree felonies.
"We do have two fourth-degree felonies in the ethics laws as well. one is people who are in public service assist their relatives and outside business associates in getting public contracts. Whether it's an asphalt contract or getting a relative a public job. The other fourth-degree felony we have is people investing public money with the intent of benefiting themselves," said Susan Willeke, education and communication manager at Ohio Ethics Commission.
Willeke says presenting programs like this out in the field is a great way to introduce the public ethics law in a proactive and friendly way that spurred discussion.
"So the importance of public service knowing the law is that it helps him do the right thing. That they don't have to figure out by themselves. They have a resource like the ethics commission that they can come to ask questions and get answers to help keep them on the right path," added Willeke.
You can learn more about the Ohio ethics law at ethics.ohio.gov.
