Public Ethics Law

Established in 1979, the State Ethics Commission replaced the Maryland Public Disclosure Advisory Board and the State Board of Ethics.  The Maryland Public Ethics Law is found in the General Provisions Article, Title 5.

With the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics and the Commission on Judicial Disabilities, the State Ethics Commission administers the Public Ethics Law. That law requires disclosure of the financial affairs of public officials and sets standards of conduct for State and local government officials and employees. The Commission guards against improper influence on public officials or the appearance of conflict of interest through programs of financial disclosure, lobbying disclosure and regulation, approval of local government ethics requirements, ethics law advice and training, and ethics law complaint investigation.  The Commission reviews and approves county and municipal ethics laws enacted per the requirements of the Public Ethics Law.

The Commission consists of five members appointed to five-year terms by the Governor. One is nominated by the Senate President and one by the Speaker of the House of Delegates. The day to day work of the Commission is carried out by a 12-person staff under the direction of an executive director, appointed by the Commission. (Source Maryland Manual On-Line)

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-Public Ethics Law Summary