Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick last week signed an ethics reform bill into law. It will restrict gifts for public officials, increase jail time and financial penalties for criminal and civil violations of ethics laws, and strengthen government’s ability to investigate potential crimes.
The new law also will restrict gifts of “substantial value” and prohibit lobbyists from giving gifts. The bill increases the punishment for bribery to 10 years behind bars and a maximum $100,000 fine, up from three years and $5,000. Penalty increases will also apply for other crimes, including conflicts of interest, financial disclosure, and lobbying violations.
The secretary of state and attorney general will have additional authority over lobbyists and ethics probes, and the bill strengthens campaign financing laws.
The ethics bill was one piece of legislation, including pension and transportation reform, that the governor said he had to receive from the legislature before he would sign the fiscal 2010 budget. Patrick approved the spending plan last week.
