<p>This is the first of four blog posts in which I will look at Zephyr Teachout's excellent new book, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=dctwBAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=one…; target="”_blank”"><em>Corruption in America</em></a>: <em>From Benjamin Franklin's Snuff Box to Citizens United</em> (Harvard Univ.

<p>An example I often use for why government ethics laws are only minimum requirements is that these laws cannot include friendships or romantic relationships, because these are impossible to define with any precision. When a relationship is not included because it is undefinable, this does not mean that one should not treat this relationship like any other special relationship and withdraw from matters involving that individual. One should go beyond the minimum requirements of the law and withdraw.

<p>According to <a href="http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/inside-the-mayors-nonp…; target="”_blank”">an article yesterday on the Voice of San Diego website</a>, yet another mayoral pet charity has been created in San Diego, called <a href="http://www.1sandiego.org/&quot; target="”_blank”">One San Diego</a>.

<p>More from St. Louis County municipalities. According to <a href="http://m.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/municipal-courts-are-…; target="”_blank”">an article in Sunday's St.

<p><a href="https://lawoftheland.wordpress.com/ target=”_blank”>The Law of the Land Blog</a> has recently summarized a number of
California decisions regarding proximity, a conflict of interest
issue that, for some reason, seems to come up primarily in
California, due in large part, I suppose, to its 500-foot rule.<br>
<br>
In <a

<p>U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez is to be indicted this week for bribery and failure to report gifts. Where there is an effective government ethics program, he would be easily found to have committed administrative government ethics violations. In a criminal case, the official has the edge (and he has already formed a legal defense fund, to obtain legal but inappropriate contributions from those seeking favors from him).

<p>Hillary Clinton's use of a private e-mail account is not something that is done only at the federal level. Lots of mayors and council members, as well as other government officials, do public business on private accounts, even if they have a publicly provided cellphone and computer.<br />
<br />

<p>The word "fiefdom" does not appear in the <a href="http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen…; target="”_blank”">U.S. Justice Department's March 4 report</a> on Ferguson, MO's police department, but that is what the report describes. What is unusual about the fiefdom is that it is controlled by the council, not by an executive or attorney.

<p>Across the country, requests for citizen complaints provide not only for complaints, but also for commendations. I happened to notice one of these when I was in the nation's capital this weekend, and it got me wondering why this is not done with respect to government ethics complaints and hotline reports.<br />
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HEADING 2

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