Post by Logan on Apr 23, 2016 1:25:32 GMT -6
Ethics commission takes no action on complaint against senators
Folks trying to prod the State Ethics Commission to investigate a Senate junket to Israel have discovered that the watchdog agency does not have quite the bite they might have hoped.
The commission, it turns out, is doing what its self-imposed regulations dictate — simply taking for granted the words of the public officials it is supposed to bring to heel.
And indeed, relying solely on the lawmakers’ filings with the commission, the agency has concluded that 10 state senators were clear of any potential ethics issues when they took a free junket to Israel worth $4,000 per person.
That gift to them came shortly after they and their colleagues unanimously passed pro-Israel legislation lobbied by the Boston based pro-Israeli group which arranged the trip and which is a registered State House lobbying outfit.
Read more: www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/04/21/ethics-commission-takes-action-complaint-against-senators/oXilm6SWRBri3Z61VyTqSO/story.html
Folks trying to prod the State Ethics Commission to investigate a Senate junket to Israel have discovered that the watchdog agency does not have quite the bite they might have hoped.
The commission, it turns out, is doing what its self-imposed regulations dictate — simply taking for granted the words of the public officials it is supposed to bring to heel.
And indeed, relying solely on the lawmakers’ filings with the commission, the agency has concluded that 10 state senators were clear of any potential ethics issues when they took a free junket to Israel worth $4,000 per person.
That gift to them came shortly after they and their colleagues unanimously passed pro-Israel legislation lobbied by the Boston based pro-Israeli group which arranged the trip and which is a registered State House lobbying outfit.
Read more: www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/04/21/ethics-commission-takes-action-complaint-against-senators/oXilm6SWRBri3Z61VyTqSO/story.html