House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, said Thursday that he supports increased funding for the state ethics commission but not necessarily expanding the board’s membership as Gov. Nathan Deal previously suggested.
Ralston, speaking to reporters before the start of Monday’s legislative session, said the current commission is doing its job.
“I don’t think any of the drama has occurred because of members of the commission,” Ralston said. “I think it’s been staff.”
The commission, formally known as the Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, has begun to emerge from a years-long funk that included multiple lawsuits and nearly $3 million in taxpayer-funded payouts to former employees.
Deal last year called it an “inherently bad” agency and suggested expanding the board from five to 12 members and for the first time giving the Judiciary several appointments. The governor also said he’d support increasing the agency’s resources.
Ralston on Thursday said he would support more money for the agency to hire auditors and attorneys to do its job.
The governor is now on board, too.
Deal spokesman Brian Robinson said the commission has briefed the governor “on the tremendous progress that it has made.” Deal now agrees that the current board deserves time to prove itself capable.
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