Who enforces Georgia's ethics rules for public officers?

• A. The Governor alone enforces ethics.
• B. State ethics bodies and statutes enforce ethics rules for public officers.
• C. There is no enforcement mechanism.
• D. Local police enforce ethics.

Answer: (B)

Ethics rules for public officers in Georgia are enforced by state-created bodies and the statutes that empower them. The primary authority is the State Ethics Commission (often referred to as the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission), which administers and enforces the ethics laws—handling financial disclosures, gift restrictions, conflicts of interest, advisory opinions, investigations, and sanctions when violations occur. Local governments may have their own ethics rules, but the formal enforcement mechanism at the state level comes from these ethics bodies and the laws that authorize them. The Governor does not single-handedly enforce ethics, and local police aren’t responsible for enforcing ethics rules.