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Knox County committee advances near-final draft of county Code of Ethics; members debate expanding recusal rules
Summary
The Knox County ethics committee reviewed a near-final draft of the Knox County Code of Ethics and discussed whether non-family personal relationships should trigger recusal and disclosure; the subcommittee said it has reviewed almost 90% of the draft and invited public comment.
The Knox County ethics committee reviewed a nearly finished draft of the Knox County Code of Ethics at its morning meeting and debated whether the rules on nepotism and conflicts of interest should be expanded to cover non-family personal relationships.
The committee’s subcommittee chair, Mr. Biddle, told members the subcommittee has met six times and “gone through, I believe, almost 90% of the document,” and said all draft materials and public comments are posted on the committee’s public website for review. He also said staff will present a public-facing flowchart at the next meeting to show how various ethics issues would be handled by staff and the committee.
Madam Chair raised a hypothetical concern about intimate or other personal relationships that are not blood relations, arguing such relationships can be used to coerce officials. “If it’s in the ethics policy that if you have had a ****** relationship, you must recuse yourself, then that takes away that power that someone might have to blackmail,” the Chair said. The Chair framed the proposal as a protective measure for elected officials rather than a punitive one.
Committee members discussed practical obstacles to expanding the definition of "relationship," including how to prove non-family relationships and the risk of false allegations. One member suggested the subcommittee consult the law department and consider definitions similar to those used in domestic violence statutes to help provide a clearer standard.
Mr. Biddle said the subcommittee moved the formal disclosure form out of the main body of the draft and placed it as an addendum to provide a structured place for applicants, employees, or officials to record relationships and other potential conflicts. He urged the public to comment on the publicly posted draft.
On procedural items, the committee approved the minutes by voice vote and later moved to adjourn. No roll-call vote tallies were recorded in the transcript for either action.
The subcommittee will review the flowchart and proposed definitions at the next meeting; the committee also asked the law department to assist in standardizing the code’s terminology across county documents. The committee encouraged public review and comment on the posted draft before final action is taken.
