Del. Joanne Benson says she failed to file disclosure report because she's too busy

Subject:

Comments:
: 21 LAWMAKERS CITED BY ETHICS PANEL : SIX WEEKS AFTER FILING DEADLINE, FINANCIAL-DISCLOSURE FORMS STILL NOT RECEIVED : Friday, June 16, 2000 : Section: METROPOLITAN MARYLAND, Page: C1 : Margie Hyslop, THE WASHINGTON TIMES : Twenty-one Maryland General Assembly lawmakers had not delivered their financial-disclosure reports to the State Ethics Commission as of yesterday , more than six weeks after the deadline, The Washington Times has learned. : The 21 legislators - 20 Democrats and one Republican - have failed to provide reports despite receiving letters May 16 from the Ethics Commission's staff reminding them of their obligation. : The lawmakers' delinquency comes in the wake of intense debate over ethics and public disclosure in recent Assembly sessions and related court cases, including one that began last week in Baltimore. : At least 29 legislators, or more than 15 percent of the 188-member General Assembly, had not submitted their financial-disclosure forms by the April 30 deadline. : And "some are not new to being late," said John E. O'Donnell, executive director of the Ethics Commission. : : ... : : Delegate Joanne Benson, Prince George's County Democrat and deputy House majority leader, said she had nothing new to disclose, does not take gifts, tickets or meals from lobbyists, and would have filed new forms by now if anything had changed. : "I think that for those of us who don't have anything to disclose, we shouldn't have to file and I'm going to press for that next year," Mrs. Benson said, adding that she has been swamped with her work as a teacher specialist with Prince George's County Public Schools and speaking engagements since the session ended April 10.

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL: