Historic Step for Indiana Ethics Reform

STATEHOUSE – Today the Legislative Council approved the appointment of John Robert “Bob” Rudolph to serve as the Chief Counsel for the Office of Legislative Ethics within the Legislative Services Agency (LSA). House Speaker Brian C. Bosma (R-Indianapolis) was the author of House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1002, the ethics bill which passed in a bipartisan effort during the 2015 legislative session.

HEA 1002 was passed to increase accountability by strengthening reporting requirements and disclosure of conflicts of interest. The Office of Legislative Ethics is charged with the following:

• Assisting and advising legislators regarding the compliance with ethics rules of their respective houses;
• Assisting and advising legislators in completing  statements of economic interests; and
• Assisting and advising the ethics committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate in addition to other ethics duties assigned by the Legislative Council.

“Today we took a major step forward as a result of the ethics bill we passed this legislative session. I am very pleased with the establishment of this office which is occurring without any additional cost to taxpayers,” said Speaker Bosma.

Bob Rudolph is a well-respected attorney with LSA where he serves in the Office of Bill Drafting and Research. He has served the State of Indiana as a licensed attorney since 1989.

“The public’s confidence in our legislative procedure is fundamental to our democracy. I know that Bob’s work will help bring more transparency and bolster the public’s trust in the legislative process,” said Speaker Bosma.

Bob Rudolph will begin his role on July 1, 2015 in conjunction with the effective date of HEA 1002.

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