For Immediate Release
Monday, December 7, 2009
Contact: Rob Teilhet
404-435-7499 

Rep. Rob Teilhet to Introduce Ethics Reform in 2010
Says Richardson Resignation Doesn't Solve Problem of Corruption at Capitol

SMYRNA, Ga . – Today State Representative and Attorney General Candidate Rob Teilhet announced that he will sponsor legislation to overhaul Georgia's conflict of interest laws for the General Assembly. Teilhet's legislation will place the enforcement responsibility for conflict of interest complaints with the State Ethics Commission , rather than the legislature.

“Allowing the legislature to police itself on ethics is like letting a criminal preside over his own court hearing,” said Representative Rob Teilhet. “The resignation of Speaker Richardson is not enough. We must address the underlying culture of corruption that has allowed self-dealing and conflicts of interest to run rampant at our Capitol. It is time for meaningful ethics reform that will help restore the public's trust in government. Only then can we safeguard against similar problems in the future.”

Teilhet's legislation will give the State Ethics Commission jurisdiction over complaints of conflict of interest against members of the Georgia General Assembly. Currently, such complaints are enforced by the General Assembly itself through a Joint Legislative Ethics Committee. In 2007 the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee dismissed a complaint detailing the facts that led to House Speaker Richardson's resignation last week. The complaint was dismissed immediately, without any hearing or investigation.

If Teilhet's proposal sounds familiar, it should. It was a centerpiece of Governor Sonny Perdue's ethics proposals in 2005. Eventually an ethics bill passed in the waning hours of the 2005 session, but the conflict of interest provisions were removed at the insistence of the Georgia House Republican leadership .

“Governor Sonny Perdue was right in 2005. But the House leadership gutted his legislation, and the result was an ethics bill with no teeth on conflict of interest. The embarrassment of last week is a direct result of the lack of any meaningful action by the General Assembly on ethics. It is high time we strengthen Georgia's ethics laws and get our public officials back to the business of serving constituents, rather than themselves.”

Teilhet, who is campaigning to become Georgia's next Attorney General, says his campaign will focus on advocacy for crime victims, consumer protection and ethics in government.  Teilhet is widely known as the strongest voice in the General Assembly for protecting Georgians from rip-offs and con artists.  He has been a reliable supporter of law enforcement and crime victims as a member of the House Judiciary Committee.  Teilhet has long been a champion for stronger ethics laws.

Teilhet's announcement today follows recent news that he was endorsed by Georgia's Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Emanuel Jones and elected officials from all corners of Georgia.  Teilhet also made headlines when he outpaced all other candidates running for Attorney General in the June 30 fundraising report.

Rob Teilhet (pronounced tuh-lay) has represented Smyrna and Marietta in the Georgia House of Representatives since his election in 2002 at the age of 28.  He is the Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus and serves on the Judiciary, Education, and Industrial Relations Committees.  He is a partner in the Marietta law firm of Rogers, Strimban & Teilhet.  More information about his campaign can be found at his website, www.robforgeorgia.com .

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