(5 ILCS 430/20‑5)
Sec. 20‑5. Executive Ethics Commission.
(a) The Executive Ethics Commission is created.
(b) The Executive Ethics Commission shall consist of 9
commissioners.
The Governor shall appoint 5 commissioners, and the Attorney General, Secretary
of State, Comptroller, and Treasurer shall each appoint one commissioner.
Appointments shall be made by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate by three‑fifths of the elected members concurring by record vote.
Any nomination not acted upon by the Senate within 60 session days of the
receipt thereof shall be deemed to have received the advice and consent of
the Senate. If, during a recess of the Senate, there is a vacancy in an office
of commissioner, the appointing authority shall make a temporary
appointment until the next meeting of the Senate when the appointing
authority shall make a nomination to fill that office. No person rejected for
an office of commissioner shall, except by the Senate's request, be
nominated again for that office at the same session of the Senate or be
appointed to that office during a recess of that Senate.
No more than 5
commissioners may be of the same
political party.
The terms of the initial commissioners shall commence upon qualification.
Four initial appointees of the Governor, as designated by the Governor, shall
serve terms running through June 30, 2007. One initial appointee of the
Governor, as designated by the Governor, and the initial appointees of the
Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, and Treasurer shall serve
terms running through June 30, 2008.
The initial appointments shall be made within 60 days
after the effective date of this Act.
After the initial terms, commissioners shall serve for 4‑year terms
commencing on July 1 of the year of appointment and running
through June 30 of the fourth following year. Commissioners may be
reappointed to one or more subsequent terms.
Vacancies occurring other than at the end of a term shall be filled
by the appointing authority only for the balance of the
term of the commissioner whose office is vacant.
Terms shall run regardless of whether the position is filled.
(c) The appointing authorities shall appoint commissioners who
have experience holding governmental office or employment and shall
appoint commissioners from the general public.
A person is not eligible to
serve as a commissioner if that person (i) has been convicted of a
felony or a crime of dishonesty or moral turpitude, (ii) is, or was
within the preceding 12 months, engaged in activities that
require registration under the Lobbyist Registration Act, (iii) is related
to the appointing authority, or (iv) is a State officer or employee.
(d) The Executive Ethics Commission shall have
jurisdiction over all officers and employees of State agencies other
than the General Assembly, the Senate, the House of Representatives,
the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker and
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Senate
Operations Commission, the legislative support services agencies, and
the Office of the Auditor General.
The jurisdiction of the
Commission is limited to matters arising under this Act.
(e) The Executive Ethics Commission must meet, either
in person or by other technological means, at least monthly and as
often as necessary. At the first meeting of the Executive
Ethics Commission, the commissioners shall choose from their
number a chairperson and other officers that they deem appropriate.
The terms of officers shall be for 2 years commencing July 1 and
running through June 30 of the second following year. Meetings shall be held at
the call
of the chairperson or any 3 commissioners. Official action by the
Commission shall require the affirmative vote of 5 commissioners, and
a quorum shall consist of 5 commissioners. Commissioners shall receive
compensation in an amount equal to the compensation of members of the State
Board of Elections and may be
reimbursed for their reasonable expenses actually incurred in the
performance of their duties.
(f) No commissioner or employee of the Executive
Ethics Commission may during his or her term of appointment or employment:
(1) become a candidate for any elective office;
(2) hold any other elected or appointed public office |
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except for appointments on governmental advisory boards or study commissions or as otherwise expressly authorized by law;
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(3) be actively involved in the affairs of any
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political party or political organization; or
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(4) actively participate in any campaign for any
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(g) An appointing authority may remove a commissioner only for cause.
(h) The Executive Ethics Commission shall appoint an Executive Director. The
compensation of the Executive Director shall be as determined by the Commission
or by the Compensation Review Board, whichever amount is higher. The Executive
Director of the Executive Ethics Commission may employ and determine the
compensation of staff, as appropriations permit.
(Source: P.A. 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)
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(5 ILCS 430/20‑10)
Sec. 20‑10. Offices of Executive Inspectors General.
(a) Five independent Offices of the Executive Inspector General are
created,
one each for the Governor, the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the
Comptroller, and the Treasurer. Each Office shall be under the direction and
supervision
of an Executive Inspector General and shall be a fully independent office with
separate
appropriations.
(b) The Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, and
Treasurer shall each appoint an Executive Inspector General, without regard to
political affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity and
demonstrated ability.
Appointments shall be made by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate by three‑fifths of the elected members concurring by record vote.
Any nomination not acted upon by the Senate within 60 session days of the
receipt thereof shall be deemed to have received the advice and consent of
the Senate. If, during a recess of the Senate, there is a vacancy in an office
of Executive Inspector General, the appointing authority shall make a
temporary appointment until the next meeting of the Senate when the
appointing authority shall make a nomination to fill that office. No person
rejected for an office of Executive Inspector General shall, except by the
Senate's request, be nominated again for that office at the same session of
the Senate or be appointed to that office during a recess of that Senate.
Nothing in this Article precludes the appointment by the Governor, Attorney
General,
Secretary of State, Comptroller, or Treasurer of any other inspector general
required or
permitted by law. The Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State,
Comptroller, and
Treasurer
each may appoint an existing inspector general as the Executive Inspector
General
required by this
Article, provided that such an inspector general is not prohibited by law,
rule,
jurisdiction, qualification, or interest from serving as the Executive
Inspector General
required by
this Article.
An appointing authority may not appoint a relative as an Executive Inspector
General.
Each Executive Inspector General shall have the following qualifications:
(1) has not been convicted of any felony under the |
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laws of this State, another State, or the United States;
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(2) has earned a baccalaureate degree from an
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institution of higher education; and
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(3) has 5 or more years of cumulative service (A)
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with a federal, State, or local law enforcement agency, at least 2 years of which have been in a progressive investigatory capacity; (B) as a federal, State, or local prosecutor; (C) as a senior manager or executive of a federal, State, or local agency; (D) as a member, an officer, or a State or federal judge; or (E) representing any combination of (A) through (D).
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The term of each initial Executive Inspector General shall
commence upon qualification and shall run through June 30, 2008. The
initial appointments shall be made within 60 days after the effective
date of this Act.
After the initial term, each Executive Inspector General shall serve
for 5‑year terms commencing on July 1 of the year of appointment
and running through June 30 of the fifth following year. An
Executive Inspector General may be reappointed to one or more
subsequent terms.
A vacancy occurring other than at the end of a term shall be filled
by the appointing authority only for the balance of the term of the Executive
Inspector General whose office is vacant.
Terms shall run regardless of whether the position is filled.
(c) The Executive Inspector General appointed by the Attorney General shall
have jurisdiction over the Attorney General and all officers and employees of,
and vendors and others doing business with,
State agencies within the jurisdiction of the Attorney General. The Executive
Inspector General appointed by the Secretary of State shall have jurisdiction
over the Secretary of State and all officers and employees of, and vendors and
others doing business with, State agencies within the
jurisdiction of the Secretary of State. The Executive Inspector General
appointed by the Comptroller shall have jurisdiction over the Comptroller and
all officers and employees of, and vendors and others doing business with,
State agencies within the jurisdiction of the Comptroller. The
Executive Inspector General appointed by the Treasurer shall have jurisdiction
over the Treasurer and all officers and employees of, and vendors and others
doing business with, State agencies within the jurisdiction
of the Treasurer. The Executive Inspector General appointed by the Governor
shall have jurisdiction over the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and all
officers and employees of, and vendors and others doing business with,
executive branch State agencies under the jurisdiction of the
Executive Ethics Commission and not within the jurisdiction of the
Attorney
General, the Secretary of State, the Comptroller, or the Treasurer.
The jurisdiction of each Executive Inspector General is to investigate
allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, misconduct, nonfeasance,
misfeasance,
malfeasance, or violations of this Act or violations of other related
laws and rules.
(d) The minimum compensation for each Executive Inspector General shall be
determined by the Executive Ethics Commission. The actual compensation for each
Executive Inspector General shall be determined by the appointing executive
branch
constitutional officer and must be at or above the minimum compensation level
set by
the Executive Ethics Commission. Subject to Section 20‑45 of this Act, each
Executive Inspector General has full
authority
to organize his or her Office of the Executive Inspector General, including the
employment and determination of the compensation of staff, such as deputies,
assistants, and other employees, as appropriations permit. A separate
appropriation
shall be made for each Office of Executive Inspector General.
(e) No Executive Inspector General or employee of the Office of
the Executive Inspector General may, during his or her term of appointment or
employment:
(1) become a candidate for any elective office;
(2) hold any other elected or appointed public office
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except for appointments on governmental advisory boards or study commissions or as otherwise expressly authorized by law;
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(3) be actively involved in the affairs of any
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political party or political organization; or
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(4) actively participate in any campaign for any
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In this subsection an appointed public office means a position authorized by
law that is filled by an appointing authority as provided by law and does not
include employment by hiring in the ordinary course of business.
(e‑1) No Executive Inspector General or employee of the Office of the
Executive Inspector General may, for one year after the termination of his or
her appointment or employment:
(1) become a candidate for any elective office;
(2) hold any elected public office; or
(3) hold any appointed State, county, or local
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(e‑2) The requirements of item (3) of subsection (e‑1) may be waived by the
Executive Ethics Commission.
(f) An Executive Inspector General may be removed only for cause and may
be removed only by the appointing constitutional officer. At the time of the
removal,
the appointing constitutional officer must report to the Executive Ethics
Commission the
justification for the
removal.
(Source: P.A. 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)
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(5 ILCS 430/20‑15)
Sec. 20‑15. Duties of the Executive Ethics
Commission. In addition to duties otherwise assigned by
law, the Executive Ethics Commission shall have the
following duties:
(1) To promulgate rules governing the performance of |
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its duties and the exercise of its powers and governing the investigations of the Executive Inspectors General. It is declared to be in the public interest, safety, and welfare that the Commission adopt emergency rules under the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to initially perform its duties under this subsection.
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(2) To conduct administrative hearings and rule on
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matters brought before the Commission only upon the receipt of pleadings filed by an Executive Inspector General and not upon its own prerogative, but may appoint special Executive Inspectors General as provided in Section 20‑21. Any other allegations of misconduct received by the Commission from a person other than an Executive Inspector General shall be referred to the Office of the appropriate Executive Inspector General.
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(3) To prepare and publish manuals and guides and,
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working with the Office of the Attorney General, oversee training of employees under its jurisdiction that explains their duties.
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(4) To prepare public information materials to
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facilitate compliance, implementation, and enforcement of this Act.
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(5) To submit reports as required by this Act.
(6) To the extent authorized by this Act, to make
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rulings, issue recommendations, and impose administrative fines, if appropriate, in connection with the implementation and interpretation of this Act. The powers and duties of the Commission are limited to matters clearly within the purview of this Act.
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(7) To issue subpoenas with respect to matters
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pending before the Commission, subject to the provisions of this Article and in the discretion of the Commission, to compel the attendance of witnesses for purposes of testimony and the production of documents and other items for inspection and copying.
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(8) To appoint special Executive Inspectors General
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as provided in Section 20‑21.
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(Source: P.A. 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)
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(5 ILCS 430/20‑20)
Sec. 20‑20. Duties of the Executive Inspectors
General. In addition to duties otherwise assigned by law,
each Executive Inspector General shall have the following duties:
(1) To receive and investigate allegations of |
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violations of this Act. The Executive Inspector General may receive information through the Office of any Executive Inspector General or through an ethics commission. An investigation may be conducted only in response to information reported to the Executive Inspector General as provided in this Section and not upon his or her own prerogative. Allegations may not be made anonymously. An investigation may not be initiated more than one year after the most recent act of the alleged violation or of a series of alleged violations except where there is reasonable cause to believe that fraudulent concealment has occurred. To constitute fraudulent concealment sufficient to toll this limitations period, there must be an affirmative act or representation calculated to prevent discovery of the fact that a violation has occurred. The Executive Inspector General shall have the discretion to determine the appropriate means of investigation as permitted by law.
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(2) To request information relating to an
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investigation from any person when the Executive Inspector General deems that information necessary in conducting an investigation.
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(3) To issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of
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witnesses for the purposes of testimony and production of documents and other items for inspection and copying and to make service of those subpoenas and subpoenas issued under item (7) of Section 20‑15.
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(4) To submit reports as required by this Act.
(5) To file pleadings in the name of the Executive
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Inspector General with the Executive Ethics Commission, through the Attorney General, as provided in this Article if the Attorney General finds that reasonable cause exists to believe that a violation has occurred.
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(6) To assist and coordinate the ethics officers for
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State agencies under the jurisdiction of the Executive Inspector General and to work with those ethics officers.
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(7) To participate in or conduct, when appropriate,
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multi‑jurisdictional investigations.
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(8) To request, as the Executive Inspector General
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deems appropriate, from ethics officers of State agencies under his or her jurisdiction, reports or information on (i) the content of a State agency's ethics training program and (ii) the percentage of new officers and employees who have completed ethics training.
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(Source: P.A. 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)
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(5 ILCS 430/20‑23)
Sec. 20‑23. Ethics Officers.
Each officer and the head of each State agency
under the jurisdiction of the
Executive Ethics Commission shall designate an Ethics
Officer for the office or State agency.
Ethics Officers shall:
(1) act as liaisons between the State agency and the |
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appropriate Executive Inspector General and between the State agency and the Executive Ethics Commission;
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(2) review statements of economic interest and
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disclosure forms of officers, senior employees, and contract monitors before they are filed with the Secretary of State; and
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(3) provide guidance to officers and employees in the
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interpretation and implementation of this Act, which the officer or employee may in good faith rely upon. Such guidance shall be based, wherever possible, upon legal precedent in court decisions, opinions of the Attorney General, and the findings and opinions of the Executive Ethics Commission.
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(Source: P.A. 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)
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(5 ILCS 430/20‑50)
Sec. 20‑50. Investigation reports; complaint procedure.
(a) If an Executive Inspector General, upon the conclusion of an
investigation, determines that reasonable cause exists to believe that a
violation
has occurred, then
the Executive Inspector General shall issue a summary report of the
investigation. The report shall be delivered to the
appropriate ultimate jurisdictional
authority and to the head of each State
agency
affected by or involved in the investigation, if appropriate.
(b) The summary report of the investigation shall include the following:
(1) A description of any allegations or other |
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information received by the Executive Inspector General pertinent to the investigation.
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(2) A description of any alleged misconduct
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discovered in the course of the investigation.
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(3) Recommendations for any corrective or
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disciplinary action to be taken in response to any alleged misconduct described in the report, including but not limited to discharge.
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(4) Other information the Executive Inspector General
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deems relevant to the investigation or resulting recommendations.
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(c) Not less than 30 days after delivery of the summary report of
an
investigation under subsection (a),
if the Executive Inspector General desires to file a petition for leave to file
a
complaint, the Executive Inspector General shall notify the Commission and the
Attorney General.
If the Attorney General determines
that reasonable cause exists to believe that a violation has occurred, then the
Executive Inspector
General, represented by the Attorney
General, may file with the Executive Ethics Commission a petition for
leave to file a complaint.
The petition shall set
forth the alleged violation and the
grounds that exist to support the petition. The petition for leave to
file a complaint must be filed with the Commission within 18 months
after the most recent act of the
alleged violation or of a series of alleged violations
except where there is reasonable cause to believe
that fraudulent concealment has occurred. To constitute fraudulent concealment
sufficient to toll this limitations period, there must be an affirmative act or
representation calculated to prevent discovery of the fact that a violation has
occurred.
If a petition for leave to file a complaint is not filed with the Commission
within 6 months after notice by the Inspector General to the Commission and the
Attorney General, then the Commission may set a meeting of the Commission at
which the Attorney General shall appear and provide a status
report to the Commission.
(d) A copy of the petition must be served on all respondents named in the
complaint and on each respondent's ultimate jurisdictional authority in
the same manner as process is served under the Code of Civil
Procedure.
(e) A respondent may file objections to the petition for leave to
file a complaint within 30 days after notice of the petition has been
served on the respondent.
(f) The Commission shall meet, either in person or by telephone,
in a closed session to review the sufficiency of the complaint.
If the Commission finds that complaint is sufficient, the Commission shall
grant the petition for leave to file the
complaint.
The Commission shall
issue notice to the Executive Inspector General and all respondents of
the Commission's ruling on the sufficiency of the complaint. If the complaint
is deemed to
sufficiently allege a violation of this Act, then the Commission shall notify
the parties and shall
include a hearing date scheduled within 4 weeks after the date of the notice,
unless all of the parties consent to a later date.
If the complaint is deemed not to sufficiently allege a
violation, then
the Commission shall send by certified mail, return receipt requested,
a notice to the parties of the decision to dismiss the complaint.
(g) On the scheduled date
the Commission shall conduct a closed meeting,
either in person or, if the parties consent, by telephone, on the complaint and
allow all
parties the opportunity to present testimony and evidence.
All such proceedings shall be transcribed.
(h) Within an appropriate time limit set by rules of the Executive
Ethics Commission, the Commission shall (i) dismiss the
complaint or (ii) issue a recommendation of discipline to the
respondent and the respondent's ultimate jurisdictional authority or
impose an administrative fine upon the respondent, or both.
(i) The proceedings on any complaint filed with the Commission
shall be conducted pursuant to rules promulgated by the Commission.
(j) The Commission may designate hearing officers
to conduct proceedings as determined by rule of the Commission.
(k) In all proceedings before the Commission, the standard of
proof is by a preponderance of the evidence.
(l) When the Inspector General concludes that there is insufficient
evidence that a violation has occurred, the Inspector General shall close the
investigation. At the request of the subject of the investigation, the
Inspector
General shall provide a written statement to the subject of the investigation
and to the Commission of
the Inspector General's decision to close the investigation. Closure by the
Inspector General does not bar the Inspector General from resuming the
investigation if circumstances warrant.
(Source: P.A. 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)
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(5 ILCS 430/20‑85)
Sec. 20‑85. Quarterly reports by Executive Inspector General.
Each Executive Inspector General shall submit quarterly
reports to the appropriate executive branch constitutional officer and the
Executive Ethics Commission, on dates determined by the
Executive Ethics Commission, indicating:
(1) the number of allegations received since the date |
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(2) the number of investigations initiated since the
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(3) the number of investigations concluded since the
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(4) the number of investigations pending as of the
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(5) the number of complaints forwarded to the
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Attorney General since the date of the last report; and
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(6) the number of actions filed with the Executive
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Ethics Commission since the date of the last report and the number of actions pending before the Executive Ethics Commission as of the reporting date.
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(Source: P.A. 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)
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