Elected leaders are stewards of the public trust, and we must prove we are deserving of that trust. Two years ago, Governor Haley commissioned Attorney General Travis Medlock and me to co-chair her ethics reform task force. We proposed sweeping reforms – some of which have implemented, some not. My goal as governor is to see them all implemented. That means:
- Stronger investigative authority for the State Ethics Commission.
- Requiring legislators to recuse themselves from participating when conflicts of interest exist.
- Full legislative compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); members of the General Assembly must restore public confidence by ending their self-imposed exemption from FOIA requests.
- Requiring registration for those paid to lobby county councils, school boards or any other local government entity.