The Florida Commission on Ethics is in the process of modifying its regulations to implement a new law (SB 7014) pertaining to ethics complaints lodged against public officials.
This law, passed during the recent legislative session and signed by Governor Ron DeSantis, has sparked controversy due to its stricter requirements for filing complaints.
Among the changes, complainants will need to provide evidence based on personal knowledge or non-hearsay information for their allegations to be considered valid for investigation.
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Additionally, candidates facing ethics complaints can now request compensation for their attorney’s fees.
These updates are part of the commission’s rule-making process to align its procedures with the new law, which has drawn criticism for potentially making it more difficult to hold public officials accountable for ethical misconduct.
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