Prof. Painter Featured in New York Times on Ethics of State Attorneys General
The New York Times published an article on bipartisan efforts to limit lobbyists influence over state attorneys general that featured quotes from and a photo of Professor Richard Painter. According to the article, "Perhaps most significant, a White House ethics lawyer in the administration of George W. Bush [Professor Painter] has asked the American Bar Association (ABA) to change its national code of conduct to prohibit attorneys general from discussing continuing investigations or other official matters while participating in fund-raising events at resort destinations, as they often now do. Those measures could be adopted in individual states.
"We need some specific rules, and one of them should be that prosecutors, whether state officials or federal, whether elected or appointed, never discuss specific pending investigations or cases, or the possibility of bringing cases, at political fund-raisers," said Painter, who is now a fellow at the Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard. This month, he submitted a formal request to the ABA to revamp its model rules, which are used as a template by individual states, as they relate to attorneys general.
"We need some specific rules, and one of them should be that prosecutors, whether state officials or federal, whether elected or appointed, never discuss specific pending investigations or cases, or the possibility of bringing cases, at political fund-raisers," said Painter, who is now a fellow at the Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard. This month, he submitted a formal request to the ABA to revamp its model rules, which are used as a template by individual states, as they relate to attorneys general.