| West Virginia gets an "F" in ethics, most recently related to legislators being able to secret their finances.
The new survey of financial disclosure requirements for state legislators places the state in 44th place, one of 20 states getting an "F."
The ethics problem joins the state's compliance to its' public information laws, the Associated Press after a 55 county-by-county survey, gave most agencies an "F."
While the public information laws in WV started out being strong, they have been whittled away with little enforcement teeth.
The ethics study was made by The Center for Public Integrity's "States of Disclosure."
The report indicates the state's disclosure rules allow politicos a wide berth to hide their dealings.
The state lost points in the survey because it does not require:
- Disclosure of income and investments by specific amounts.
- Disclosure of spouse's employment and investments.
- Disclosure of real estate holdings.
- That disclosure filings be accessible to the public via the Internet.
Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, after elected, found that state in WV's position, took action and placed it in the "A" list.
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