Comment on Lawmakers, watchdog groups suggest changes to Ethics Commission

Lawmakers, watchdog groups suggest changes to Ethics Commission Houston Chronicle Copyright 2012 Houston Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Published 08:05 p.m., Tuesday, April 10, 2012 AUSTIN - The Texas Ethics Commission spends too much time focusing on small mistakes at the expense of larger violations warranting audits and investigations, government watchdogs told a panel reviewing the agency Tuesday. Smith and other watchdog groups proposed several changes, including creation of a separate enforcement division within the Ethics Commission and, going beyond the agency itself, wish-list items such as a "reasonable" limit on campaign contributions. The current complaint-driven system, conducted in a contentious political climate, means that "even innocent mistakes may result in candidates or officeholders being portrayed as ethics violators, with a stigmatizing impact that is out of proportion to the seriousness of the mistake," the Sunset staff report said.