GAB Director Says Agency Has Begun Changing How It Tracks, Resolves Complaints

The director of the Government Accountability Board says the agency has begun making changes in the way it handles complaints involving election law, lobbying and ethics violations.

The changes were recommended in a Legislative Audit Bureau report that prompted Republican legislators to call for an overhaul. Some lawmakers floated the idea of possibly dividing the agency into two separate boards: one to regulate elections and another to regulate campaign finance lobbying and ethics.

Board Director Kevin Kennedy said the current system is more efficient. However, he said he welcomes the recommendation for changes in tracking and resolving complaints.

“We want to make our compliance with these recommendations as detailed and transparent as possible,” said Kennedy.

Kennedy said that by March 1, his staff will give the board a detailed plan that explains which staff members will handle which kinds of complaints, and a schedule for reporting back to the board how the complaints are resolved.