Speaking Municipal Ethics

Each city creates its own ethics rules and standards of evidence, with some more strict than others, said Rick Thompson of R. Thompson & Associates, which offers advice on ethics compliance.

High standards — such as those found in Dunwoody’s ordinances — help prevent elected officials from playing politics with ethics complaints, he said.

“What you’re trying to do is weed out the frivolous stuff,” said Thompson, the former head of the Georgia State Ethics Commission. “You need a smoking gun in these cases because if you don’t, it all comes down to politics.”

Read The Full Story Here