Holding Government Accountable: Allyson Schwartz's Plan for Reform and Integrity in Government

By Allyson Y. Schwartz

Schwartz will establish the new position of Chief Integrity Officer, will ban all gifts to executive branch employees, will stop conflicts of interest, and will require ethics training for state workers.

Recent allegations that some legislators and Liquor Control Board officials accepted gifts without reporting them only add to the urgency for action. Across the state, citizens are demanding action, and Schwartz, as governor, will lead this fight.

Schwartz will:

Establish the Position of Chief Integrity Officer -- Schwartz will appoint a cabinet-level official whose sole job is to promote ethics and integrity in state government. The Chief Integrity Officer will review state contracts for ethics compliance, arrange annual ethics training for leadership-level state officials, investigate complaints of unethical conduct, and make ethics recommendations to the governor. The Chief Integrity Officer will refer suspected criminal conduct to appropriate law enforcement.

Ban gifts for executive branch employees -- Schwartz will enforce a complete prohibition on gifts for executive branch employees, and task the Chief Integrity Officer with strictly monitoring compliance with the Governor's Code of Conduct. She will work with the General Assembly to enact a statewide gift ban for all state employees, including members of the Legislature.

Ensure adequate resources for the State Ethics Commission -- Schwartz will increase funding and staffing levels, and ensure that the Commission has adequate resources to fulfill its important mission.

Require ethics training -- Schwartz will require every state employee to receive appropriate ethics training, administered through the State Ethics Commission, on an annual basis. Employees will be required to renew their ethics training every year and submit written or electronic certification. All new executive-level state officials will be required to undergo ethics training within the first sixty days of their employment. Training will be two-tiered: a more intensive program will be mandatory for certain high-ranking state officials.

Prohibit lobbyist contributions to state officials' legal defense funds -- Schwartz will work to ban contributions from lobbyists to any legal defense fund established for a public official accused of wrong-doing.

Ban outside employment that poses conflicts -- Schwartz will seek an amendment to the Pennsylvania Public Official and Employee Ethics Act to bar salaried state employees from concurrent employment with organizations that have contracts with, or are actively seeking contracts with, the state.

Create uniform guidelines on blind trusts -- To guard against conflicts of interest in carrying out official duties, a public official may sometimes put personal financial assets into a blind trust. Schwartz will task the Chief Integrity Officer with creating uniform guidelines and a model Qualified Blind Trust.

Enact campaign contribution limits -- Schwartz will work to enact campaign contribution limits for Pennsylvania that are modeled on federal campaign finance laws, including individual contribution limits, committee contribution limits, stronger disclosure requirements, and improved transparency with mandatory electronic filing requirements.

Eliminate conflicts on state pension boards -- Pennsylvania's pensions systems have given billions of dollars to Wall Street firms in the last six years, and we need to stop paying big fees to money managers. We must also stop risky investments and conflicts of interest for members of the Pension Board.

Restrict personal loans to campaigns -- Schwartz will work to enact reforms similar to current federal law that limit the amount of personal loan money that a candidate can repay himself or herself with other contribution funds. Beyond $250,000, candidates will not be permitted to re-pay themselves with campaign funds.

Increase staff levels for the Department of State -- Pennsylvania's Department of State has the important job of overseeing campaign finance for the state. Currently, however, it only responds to complaints, as opposed to proactively performing a desk review of campaign finance reports. It should not be left up to citizens to find violations of Pennsylvania's campaign finance laws. We need to enforce the laws we have, and equally ensure that any new rules are more than just words on paper. Strengthening the Department of State's oversight capabilities will help ensure real reform in Pennsylvania that restores public confidence in the political process.

Restrict campaign contributions by persons or organizations doing business with the state -- Schwartz will work with the legislature to enact and strictly enforce legislation that restricts campaign contributions from persons or firms that have or are seeking business with the state of Pennsylvania.

Increase personal financial disclosure requirements for candidates -- Currently, candidates for elected office in Pennsylvania are required to disclose their sources of income over $1,300 annually, along with their business associations. Candidates are not, however, required to disclose the amount of income. Schwartz will work to enact a rule that requires candidates to report income amounts, in set dollar ranges.

Modernize government through technology -- Schwartz will modernize online systems for state contract reporting and ensure that application tools are easily accessible online. This will help small businesses more easily navigate the state contracting process and level the playing field.

Initiate online voter registration -- It is time for Pennsylvania to permit voters to register via a secure Internet connection. The State Senate has passed an online registration bill, and 14 states allow it. To view Schwartz's complete plan for expanding access to the ballot box and putting an end to Tom Corbett's politically-motivated plans to keep groups of Pennsylvania citizens from voting, visit http://www.allysonschwartz.com.

Require electronic filing --While Pennsylvania already accepts electronic submissions of campaign finance reports and lobbying disclosure reports, electronic filing is not currently mandatory. This means that the public does not have immediate access to these important disclosures, and the additional steps required to process mailed reports leave room for mistakes and further delays. Schwartz will work to make electronic filing mandatory for both campaign finance reports and lobbying disclosure reports.