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The Florida Commission on Ethics is updating rules to carry out a controversial new law involving ethics complaints against public officials.
The commission published notices Wednesday in the Florida Administrative Register about a rule-making process for the law (SB 7014), which passed during this year’s legislative session and was signed June 21 by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Agencies commonly adopt detailed rules to carry out laws.
The ethics law was controversial, in part, because it added more stringent requirements for people who file complaints.
“In particular, the rules will be updated to reflect that an allegation in a complaint will be considered legally sufficient for investigation by the Commission on Ethics only if it is based upon personal knowledge or information other than hearsay,” one of the notices published Wednesday said. “Also, the rules will be updated to reflect that candidates for public office who are the subject of an ethics complaint may petition for an award of attorney’s fees.”
