Comment on Candidate missteps seen in economic disclosures

Candidate missteps seen in economic disclosures

By Caleb Bedillion Daily Journal TUPELO – Some candidates seeking local office may have violated state ethics laws by failing to properly declare their sources of income and other financial interests, although the candidates still have time to correct those issues before any penalties are enforced. Mississippi’s ethics laws require that candidates for elected office file a statement of economic interest with the State Ethics Commission within 15 days after the qualifying period ends. Incumbent office holders must file the statements annually by May 1. These statements help citizens evaluate whether officeholders are using the levers of public power to benefit their own private financial position. The municipal qualifying period ended on March 3, nearly a month ago, so all new candidates should have their paperwork submitted by now. The Ethics Commission maintains an online database from which statements of economic interest, once filed, are publicly available. That database shows Tommy “Jake” Ruff, a Democratic candidate for the Tupelo City Council Ward 4 seat, had no statement on file with the Ethics Commission as of Friday. When reached for comment by the Daily Journal, Ruff seemed surprised that his statement appeared tardy.

 

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