Connecticut Attorney Lawyer

April 1, 2008 - Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today appealed the legislative guide in both chambers and both parties to do their work, the full, nine points ethics bill that, among other things, to enable the judiciary to reduce or withdraw By the pension a public, the official condemnation of the municipality or any crime in connection with his office and make it an offence to fail to report corruption. The Governor called the bill passed, if the House of Representatives and the Senate from fully meeting next week.

“It is high time - and, in recent times, many possibilities - for the rest of the work to reform ethics,” said Governor Rell. “People in Connecticut, rightly expect that the common sense of these proposals are adopted and entered into force. We have done much to restore public faith in government, but the work is not yet complete. I invite the President of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate President, and the leaders of both the House and the Senate Republican, in conjunction with me in the context of work for the rapid solution of these latter issues.

“I agree with the basic nine proposals that I think we can all agree,” the governor said. “It is time to put aside the bodies - as we January, important reforms of the criminal justice system - for the sake of the country. We talked at length about these reforms. It is time to include them in their national law.

“Ethics in state government is not a problem for the Democrats or the Republicans - is a theme for Connecticut,” said Governor Rell. “The basis of our system of government is the belief in man and representatives of their leaders. We must make it clear that their faith was well placed - and that if the relationship is wounded, it will not be without consequences. ”

Deputy Governor Rell’s proposal, employees of state officials (including officials of the quasi-public organizations) and commune officials had all pension reduction or withdrawal of memory guilty or non-compete or Because of an offence related to his position. In cases where a criminal prosecution of the Swiss government, and the matter is not dealt with separately, the Attorney General can petition the court to withdraw the pension. The law applies only to future cases, such as retroactive pay penalty would not pass the constitutional and could also in the implementation of the law.

The President also proposes non-compliance with corruption, a report of money a crime, though the official position knew or ought reasonably to know that corruption is one of the money has been offered.

In addition, the governor proposes to delete the prohibition of the Contracting State to offer employment to a state, employees in a clear, as the award of a contract, that of public enterprises. It also proposes to limit the gifts, one of the “major life events” with the exception of ethics committees, current laws for a total value of $ 1000 or less.

Other measures requested by the Governor Rell would:

* Close the governor of the spouses in the definition of “public official” for the purposes of applying the state Code of Ethics
* Require government agencies: the post, the minutes of a public meeting on the Agency’s Web site, within seven days of the meeting, according to the schedule of regular meetings for a calendar year of 31 January of this year, and after a special meeting Notice the Agency’s Web site at least 24 hours before the meeting,
* Make it illegal for the group leaders of the staff of the legislative authority and meetings of all public officials to solicit contributions to the campaign of their employees, patrons and bar staff, and the governor of the campaign Lieutenant Governor obtain input from commissioners and deputy commissioners
* Requires ethics training for all new MPs and demand that courses instead for lawmakers every four years or whenever the ethics committees, the code is updated significantly
* Ex parte prohibiting communication between State Office of Ethics (OSE), the staff, the study of the complaint of an ethics committee and members of the board of directors on the subject of the complaint, that Employees may OSE after issuing subpoenas “affirmative action” by the board of directors vote by correspondence and by members of the board of directors to prohibit

“These proposals are simply - crystal clear - and fair applicable in the future,” said the governor. “You are without rancour and without agenda, with the exception of the agenda that all of us who serve the public interest, it should be noted: the fact that is true, good reasons .