The Problems with EC Jurisdiction Over Charter Violations
It is unethical for a local official to violate a law, especially
the city or county charter. But such a violation is usually not a
government ethics violation, because it has nothing to do with conflicts
of interest. It may be a misuse of office, but it is not a misuse of office to benefit oneself, one's family, or one's business associates.<br>
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And yet some ethics codes contain a provision making a
legal or charter violation an ethics violation. Here is one from