REPORT ON 2009 COGEL CONFERENCE

The IEC’s Executive Director, Jane Feldman, attended the 30th Annual COGEL (Council on Governmental Ethics Laws) Conference that was held Dec. 6-9, 2009 in Scottsdale, Arizona. COGEL is the preeminent organization of government ethics professionals. Its annual conference is an invaluable opportunity for government ethics professionals to interact with their peers, discover first-hand their successes and innovations, obtain and nurture helpful contacts who have faced similar challenges, and learn about ongoing government reform efforts throughout the US and world.
This year’s conference included attendees from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and England. Thirty-nine states plus the District of Columbia, as well as several municipalities were represented. Participants included commissioners, executive directors, and other staff. There were also several representatives from law firms and lobbying organizations, elections personnel and representatives from nonprofits, including NCSL. The number of participants was down from last year due to budget constraints, although many of the people I had met last year were there and were eager to hear about the Commission’s progress.
 

Sessions:

December 7, 2008:

The first morning each table at breakfast was marked with a different topic. I headed up the discussion at one table for new COGEL members and first time attendees.
The first session I attended was the annual Ethics Update. David Freel, the Executive Director of the Ohio Ethics Commission prepares a survey and summarizes developments and trends in ethics and conflicts of interest legislation, litigation and advisory issues within the past year. I have a disc of the update as well as a summary. The Ethics Update is also available on the COGEL web site, www.cogel.org.
At lunch, there was a speech from Rep. Jack D. Franks from the Illinois General Assembly. Rep. Franks had been the lead prosecutor in the impeachment proceedings against Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He discussed not only the allegations that Gov. Blagojevich had attempted to sell President Obama’s Senate seat, but also described the culture of corruption that had permeated the Blagojevich Administration from the beginning.
After lunch, I attended sessions on “Balancing Governmental Integrity in the era of Furloughs and Layoffs” and “Advisory Opinions and how to make them Matter.” The first session consisted of a discussion of changing rules on negotiating for future employment and revolving door when people are laid off. Several states have relaxed their rules somewhat in light of layoffs. The second session consisted of a discussion of confidentiality issues, the binding effect of advisory opinions, and challenges to opinions. Both of these sessions were very informative and helpful.

December 8, 2008:

Following breakfast, there was a plenary speaker from the Netherlands, who spoke of efforts to ensure free and open elections in Africa and the Middle East. He was a substitute for another speaker, so I did not get his name and title.
I attended three additional sessions on Tuesday. The first was entitled “The Gift Minefield-When are Gifts Undue Influence and When can they offer valuable assistance to the Government.” The discussion focused on when gifts should be considered “gifts to the state” and when it is appropriate to accept a gift of travel.
The second panel discussion was “Gift and Pay to Play legislation.” This discussion was lead by law firms and lobbying firms and discussed how for the private sector, the clearer the rules the better.
The final panel I attended on Tuesday was on education and training, “Effective Education on a Shoestring Budget”. The Ohio Ethics Commission has put together an excellent DVD with several different scenarios, followed by a discussion of the issues under Ohio law. They will be sending the DVD to me, and I think we could use the scenarios as a basis for putting together a training DVD of our own. They are willing to waive any copyrights for us.

December 9, 2008:

Following the annual membership meeting of COGEL, I attended a session on “Tackling Management Issues in Times of Fiscal Trouble.” Several agencies have had their budgets trimmed by as much as 50% (sometimes as a result of political issues).
The 32nd COGEL Annual Conference will be held in Washington, D.C. from December 5-8, 2010. As with last year, I found the COGEL conference invaluable both for content and for networking. I have used the contacts I made at last year’s conference numerous times over the past year, and think I will do the same this year. I will continue to serve on the COGEL Membership Committee over the next year as well.