D.C. ethics panel seeks greater authority, stricter rules

Less than a year into its work and already realizing the limits of its power, the District’s ethics board is asking lawmakers to broaden its authority, criminalize certain conduct for the first time and strengthen laws intended to prevent conflicts of interest.

Government Ethics Director Darrin Sobin, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability, said this week that the panel’s request for enhanced powers was “intended to send a message that ethics reform is active and ongoing.”