Dear Chairman Collamore and Members of the Senate Government Operations Committee,
I am writing today regarding S.298 and the ongoing discussion about candidate financial disclosure forms and the role of the Vermont State Ethics Commission. Our message is straightforward: Vermont's ethics framework can only succeed if it is given the resources to match its responsibilities.
A strong ethics framework builds public confidence in the work of public officials and protects said public officials from unfounded accusations.
The recent confusion over candidate financial disclosure forms is not evidence of institutional failure, it is evidence of a capacity problem. The Ethics Commission fulfilled its statutory obligation under Act 171 (2024) by updating the disclosure form and transmitting it to the Secretary of State months before the filing period opened. To be clear, the breakdown that followed stems from a shift in long-standing practice by the Secretary of State's office, not from inaction by the Commission.
As you consider S.298, we urge the Committee to keep three principles in mind:
- Fund our ethics commitments. The Ethics Commission currently operates with just two part-time staff. If the Legislature intends to assign the Commission new front-line support responsibilities (such as serving as a help desk for candidate questions) it must provide commensurate staffing. We urge you to restore the Commission staff position included in the House budget and consider additional support (even if it’s seasonal) for phone coverage and candidate guidance.
- Clarify roles rather than shifting blame. The division of labor has historically been clear: the Ethics Commission drafts and maintains the blank form; the Secretary of State administers it to candidates during the filing process and posts completed disclosures. S.298 should reaffirm and clarify this framework rather than reassign responsibilities to an already under-resourced agency. The Secretary’s office is getting two new positions in the current draft of the budget, while the Commission had their positions cut.
- Protect institutional independence. Partisan public comments are undermining the Commission's leadership by assigning blame during a moment of interagency confusion. This sets a dangerous precedent for the independence that any ethics body requires to function credibly. Any changes made in S.298 need to protect this independence.
Strong ethics laws and transparent financial disclosures are essential to maintaining Vermonters' trust in their government. The way to achieve that trust is not by demanding more from an office that lacks the capacity to deliver, but by investing in the infrastructure that makes real accountability possible. Underfunding the ethics resources available to the public undermines the goals that have been laid out in previous ethics legislation.
We respectfully ask the Committee to ensure that S.298 leaves the Ethics Commission better positioned (not more burdened) to carry out its mission on behalf of all Vermonters.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Best regards,
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