The Official Website of the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission
The Legislature appropriated $1,553,994 for the Ethics Commission in FY 2007.The FY 2007 budget translates to a cost of approximately $4.10 for each state, county and municipal employee under the Ethics Commission's jurisdiction and a cost of $0.24 for each citizen of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.1 The Commission does not retain revenue.
The Legal Division handled 4,372 oral and written requests for confidential advice regarding the conflict of interest and financial disclosure laws, including 97 advisory opinions issued by municipal counsels and nine formal Commission Advisory Opinions. A total of 292 disclosures were reviewed. There were 8 requests for advice pending at the end of FY 2007.
During FY 2007, 4,510 elected officials, candidates and designated major policy-making public employees were required to file Statements of Financial Interests with the Commission. All but six had filed by the end of the fiscal year. The SFI Division responded to 1,285 telephone inquiries relating to either the completion or amendment of SFIs.
A total of 3,788 people attended the 109 educational seminars conducted by the Communications and Public Education Division in FY 2007.
The Commission’s Enforcement Division reviewed 1,024 complaints about violations of the conflict of interest and financial disclosure laws in FY 2007. In many instances, the staff conducted interviews, obtained additional information and analyzed documents as part of its initial review. The Division issued 244 private educational letters, initiated 74 investigations and recommended 65 cases for formal review by the Commission. The Division issued two orders to show cause initiating public hearings and negotiated 30 Disposition Agreements. There was also one adjudicatory hearing, which resulted in a decision and order.
1. These costs were calculated using information from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Labor. The 2006 estimated population for Massachusetts is 6,437,193. The estimated number of state and local employees (county and municipal employees) is 379,200. These figures do not include uncompensated state, county and municipal officials such as voluntary board members who are also covered by the law.