- Commission Members, Committees, and Board Members
- Staff of the Ethics Commission
- History of the Ethics Commission
The West Virginia Ethics Commission was established in 1989 to enforce and administer the West Virginia Governmental Ethics Act, which is a code of conduct for appointed and elected public officials and employees. View the Act as set forth at W. Va. Code §§ 6B-1-1 through 6B-3-11.
The Ethics Commission is an independent, nonpartisan commission consisting of nine citizen members appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the West Virginia Senate.
Commission meetings are normally held at 10:00 a.m. on the first Thursday of each month. Commission meetings are open to the public. All meetings are typically held in the Third Floor Conference Room at 210 Brooks Street in Charleston. Meetings are held in person, telephonically, and by video link. The call-in numbers and links are posted on the agenda for the month and on the homepage of the Commission's website on the Friday before the meeting. Its Committees meet on an as-needed basis.
The Commission is supported by a staff of five full-time employees.
The Ethics Commission interprets and enforces the Ethics Act through an investigation and complaint process. The Commission’s staff also answers oral and written questions from governing bodies and the public concerning the Ethics Act.
The Ethics Commission’s Committee on Open Governmental Meetings issues advisory opinions (OMAO) interpreting the Open Governmental Meetings Act, but neither the Committee nor the Commission have jurisdiction to enforce the Open Meetings Act. View the Open Meetings Act as set forth in W. Va. Code §§ 6-9A-1 through 6-9A-12.
The Commission’s Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Committee issues advisory opinions relating to the ALJ Code of Conduct and adjudicates complaints filed against Administrative Law Judges.
The Ethics Commission also administers the registration and reporting requirements for lobbyists, and collects Financial Disclosure Statements (FDS), which certain public servants are required to file annually, and Disclosures of "Interested Parties" to Contracts.
The Privacy Policy of the West Virginia State Policy Office is followed by the Ethics Commission.