Ethics commission says it lacks staff to take over candidate disclosure duties; offers joint posting for this cycle

Christina Sivert, executive director of the State Ethics Commission, told the Senate Government Operations Committee on May 12 that the commission does not have the staff to assume responsibility for candidate financial disclosure work now handled by the Secretary of State and urged a temporary joint posting of the disclosure form for the current filing cycle.

Sivert said the commission historically drafted the base form while the Secretary of State’s office disseminated candidate disclosure materials as part of the candidate filing packet. That division, she testified, was meant to reduce friction for filers and limit confusion about who must file. "It makes sense that it's divided up that way," Sivert said, adding that candidates receive the form directly in their filing package.

Why it matters: committee members said a sudden transfer of duties could leave candidates without timely guidance during an active filing period. Sivert described the commission’s limits—"one part-time executive director, one part-time administrative assistant"—and said the office built an online disclosure system in 2023 at a cost of about $20,000 that the Secretary of State declined to adopt. She warned that new statutory language requiring the commission to "create and maintain" the form has been interpreted by some to imply broader operational responsibilities and that enshrining phone-or-email-answering duties in law could create an untenable, ongoing obligation for the understaffed commission.

Committee reaction and short-term plan: senators on the panel agreed a short-term approach was necessary for the current filing period. Several members supported hosting the form on both the Secretary of State website and the Ethics Commission site and using session law or a technical amendment to suspend fines or avoid creating new statutory duties for this year. "If we can jointly post the form this year, then I will volunteer to do my very best to answer questions," Sivert said, noting that any answers while she is on leave would likely be delayed.

What remains unresolved: committee members asked counsel to draft language for a session-law fix or a narrow strike to preserve the status quo for this cycle and return next year for a fuller discussion on whether the Ethics Commission or the Secretary of State should permanently host and administer candidate disclosures. The Senate Appropriations Committee was noted as the body that would have to provide any new position funding.

The committee recessed for a break after requesting draft language and agreed to revisit the item when updated proposals are available.