The main purpose of the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees in the state of Florida is to promote the public interest and maintain public respect for government. Under the code, public officials must be independent and impartial and must refrain from using public office for private gain.
The ethics laws generally consist of two types of provisions: those prohibiting certain actions or conduct, and those requiring that certain public disclosures be made to the public.
The Code of Ethics requires financial disclosure for public officials and has a host of provisions related to gifts, compensation, employment and lobbying. The goal is to protect against self-dealing, conflicts of interest and unjustified rewards or compensation.
Taken from Florida’s Sunshine Laws: Ethics, a self-directed course by Barbara Petersen and Cindy Miller developed in partnership with the First Amendment Foundation at Poynter NewsU.
