Who Should Be Watching Our Elected Officials?

Bad behavior by government officials is investigated by ethics boards. In Georgia the members of such boards are usually chosen by private organizations. But a DeKalb County judge recently ruled against that practice, saying it’s unconstitutional for people who weren’t elected to choose local government watchdogs. The ruling could also shake things up with the City of Atlanta and other counties – like Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett – where ethics boards are appointed by private organizations. Tony Harris spoke with Mark Niesse, a reporter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and Carla Miller, president of City Ethics, and ethics officer for the city of Jacksonville, Florida.