State ethics council seeks public input

   The members of acting Gov. Richard Codey’s Special Counsel for Ethics Review and Compliance are seeking public input for a new audit of the ethics rules governing executive branch employees.
   Acting Gov. Codey created the special counsel on his second day in office, Nov. 17. He appointed former Supreme Court Justice Daniel J. O’Hern Sr. and Seton Hall law professor Paula Ann Franzese to serve jointly in the new position of Special Counsel for Ethics Review and Compliance.
   And he gave the special counsel a mandate to conduct an audit of the ethics rules, statutes, regulations and codes of conduct that apply to all employees of the executive branch and the state authorities. An independent audit of this magnitude has never been done before.
   Also, the special counsel will develop an expansive, mandatory ethics training program for executive branch and authority employees.
   Justice O’Hern and Professor Franzese are currently conducting their audit of ethics rules. They are asking for public comment and suggestions on any matters pertinent to that audit, including:
   • Post-employment restrictions;
   • Creation of a plain-language ethics code for executive branch employees;
   • Creation of a business ethics code for all entities that conduct business with the state;
   • Addition of anti-nepotism provisions to the Conflicts of Interest Law; and
   • Any other suggestions.
   Responses may be submitted to Paula A. Franzese, Special Counsel for Ethics Review and Compliance, Seton Hall Law School, One Newark Center, Newark, NJ 07102.
   The deadline for submissions is Feb. 11.