JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Ethics Commission is joining other groups from around the state in calling for Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto an ethics bill that would limit "anti-corruption" efforts statewide, the commission argued in a letter sent to the governor's office on Friday.
CS/SB 7014 would require anyone filing an ethics complaint to have "personal knowledge" of the alleged offense, write the complaint while under oath and do so while fully identifying themselves.
If signed into law, any complaint filed without these requirements could be considered hearsay, and prevent any further investigation by the commission.
In a letter to DeSantis, the Jacksonville Ethics Commission said if approved, the bill would "undermine the investigation process of all ethics commissions in the State of Florida," adding the bill would seriously restrict ethics commissions from investigating complaints even if they are supported with substantial evidence.
"These profound and deleterious changes will have a chilling effect on persons who have information about government corruption while simultaneously shielding potential violations from investigatory scrutiny," the commission said in the letter.
The bill included "last-minute" amendments that the commission argued were done without any notice or input from state ethics officials.
"If the bill passes, it would be a disservice to Jacksonville citizens and it will cause us to move backwards in ethical oversight. This will impact public trust in government," said Jacksonville Ethics Commission Chair Juanita Dixon in a February press release in opposition to the bill.
The new requirements would also prevent the commission from investigating insider tips or media investigations.
The Jacksonville Ethics Commission joined the Florida Ethics Institute and the Miami-Dade and Naples Ethics Commissions' Executive Directors in opposing the bill.
Nine state organizations, including the Florida Ethics Institute, signed a separate letter to the governor on Thursday arguing that the requirement for the complainant to have personal knowledge of a violation is an "unreasonably high evidentiary hurdle that has never existed in the 50-year history of the commission."
The Jacksonville Ethics Commission argued it already has rules in place to identify and throw out meritless complaints at the "earliest possible stage." In 2023, of the 292 complaints filed with the Jacksonville Ethics Commission, 168 were dismissed due to a lack of legal sufficiency.
In 2010, the Jacksonville City Council passed a law giving the ethics commission independence to self-initiate complaints using due process safeguards. The City Council voted to put the issue of the commission's authority on a ballot in 2014, and Jacksonville citizens approved it.
"SB 7014 as amended would wipe out the efforts of our City Council and the votes of Jacksonville citizens," the commission said in a February press release about the bill.
The bill has support in the Florida Legislature, passing in the Senate with only four opposed on March 6 and the House the next day with 34 opposed. The bill will be sent to the governor's desk where he will have 15 days to respond.