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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    About the Commission

    The Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission is an independent state agency charged with the responsibility of enforcing the Ethics Act.

    About the Commission

    The Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission (“Ethics Commission”) was created when the Pennsylvania Public Official and Employee Ethics Act (“Ethics Act”) went into effect on January 1, 1979.  The Ethics Commission is an independent government agency.  The main mission of the Ethics Commission is to strengthen public faith and confidence in state and local government.   The public’s trust in government is violated when a public official or a public employee uses their public position to get financial gain that is not allowed by law.  The Ethics Commission enforces the Ethics Act to assure the public of the honesty and impartiality of public officials and public employees.   

    The Ethics Act imposes specific restrictions and requirements on public officials and public employees.  Certain provisions of the Ethics Act also apply to candidates and nominees for public office.  The Ethics Commission’s duties under the Ethics Act include providing advisory opinions regarding compliance with the Ethics Act and enforcing the requirements for filing Statement of Financial Interests forms.  The Ethics Commission also has the power to investigate alleged violations of the Ethics Act and to issue orders imposing certain penalties for violations of the Ethics Act.  

    The Ethics Commission's duties go beyond enforcing the Ethics Act.  Under the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act (“Gaming Act”) and the Medical Marijuana Act, the Ethics Commission is responsible for creating public lists of all state, county, municipal, and other government positions that meet the definition of "public official" or "executive-level public employee" as set forth in both laws.   The Ethics Commission is also responsible for issuing determinations as to whether a person is subject to specific restrictions of the Gaming Act or the Medical Marijuana Act.

    The Ethics Commission has additional responsibilities under the Lobbying Disclosure Law. These responsibilities include enforcing specific provisions of the Lobbying Disclosure Law and issuing advisory opinions regarding compliance with the Lobbying Disclosure Law.