Responses: 2. Office of Ethics

2. Will you introduce legislation establishing an independent Office on Ethics that would vet hires and oversee both the executive and legislative branches of DC government?

Biddle: I would consider legislation that would establish an independent DC Accountability Office, modeled after the Government Accountability Office (GAO), that would be comprised of the following independent agencies: Office of the DC Auditor, Office of the Inspector General, Office of the CFO, Office of Campaign Finance. I believe the office should also work closely with the new elected Attorney General. I believe that combining these offices would provide the authority and staffing needed to ensure that standards of ethics are properly overseen by an independent entity.

Douglas: Yes. It’s definitely needed. Although I want very much to contain additional taxing of the DC budget, I believe that this measure will save the District lots of money through effective oversight of hiring practices.

Lopez: Yes, I am open to this idea. I think an ethics committee needs to be established in order to have independent oversight of Council members and the decisions they make on behalf of the District’s residents. In light of the current scandals that have rocked the Council recently, measures should be put in place that serve as oversight to ensure proper procedures are being followed in regards to the hiring process.

Mara: Absolutely, an independent Office on Ethics could provide some much needed oversight on District government. Additionally, I am running as the only true independent voice that can stand up to the tired allegiances that permeate the DC Council. With 5 of 13 Councilmembers embroiled in a major legal or ethics scandal in the past year alone, the Council is in desperate need of an independent voice and an Office on Ethics who can hold DC government accountable.

Page: I will introduce such legislation and will also incorporate a voluntary donation option on local tax forms, similar to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund optional donation box that taxpayers can check off on federal tax forms, in order to create a dedicated stream of revenue for the proposed Office on Ethics.

Weaver: Yes. Long before our current troubles in the Wilson building and long before I decided to seek this At-Large seat on the Council, I have advocated for the creation of an independent ethics board or Office of Ethics. And that would just be a start. I would propose sweeping ethics reform for the Council including reforming campaign finance laws in the District.