Sen. Worley Under Investigation
We noted back in July that State Senator Ed Worley (D-Richmond, 2008 Rank #31 -- last) had drawn a primary opponent based on some dubious buck passing to skirt ethics rules.
Now, the Legislative Ethics Commission will review the matter.
On the face of it, it seems that -- even if it complies with the letter of the law -- Worley is building a facility to lease back to the state, the lease paid for with funds he appropriated.
The law seems to allow this sort of transaction:
The ethics code, which is legally binding on state legislators, prohibits them from doing business with an executive-branch agency, including institutions of higher education, Wilhoit said, but not the judicial branch, including the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC).
However, the code allows legislators to do business with cities, counties and local school boards, he said.
"I told Sen. Worley there was nothing that would prevent him from leasing to the county, and probably not even to the AOC," Wilhoit said when interviewed in July.
So the problem may not be with Worley's interpretation of the law, but with his complete lack of awareness about how it appears to the rest of us when he puts money in the budget for a project he himself profits from.
His ability in this case to be within the guidelines of the law points not to vindication as Worley insists: "I don't think there is any question that my involvement with this project is legally or ethically sound;" but that the law is bad and needs to be changed.
There can be little question that we non-legislators would have the same opportunity to build a project we funded with taxpayer resources.
