State’s New Ethics Director to Focus on Education

When the state’s new Ethics Commission opens it doors in three weeks, its Executive Director says his first priority will be education.

Bruce Androphy came on as the new director last month. He is responsible for overseeing laws that govern lobbyists and their employers as well as ethics training for the executive and legislative branches, and leading investigations into ethics complaints.

Tennessee’s Ethics Commission was created in response to the Tennessee Waltz bribery scandal that led to the arrests of 11 people, including five former and current state legislators.

Androphy comes to Nashville from New York, where that state’s ethics commission also arose from a series of scandals involving public officials. After serving there for 17 years, he says education is the key to getting legislators and lobbyists to do the right thing.

“Once people know what the rules are and where to go to, then it’s up to them, then it truly is up to them to follow through. Again, I want to be a place to go before they do something just to make sure that it is within the law.”

Androphy says he anticipates hiring six to seven people, including two attorneys who will help with training, audits, and writing advisory opinions.

Starting October 1st, lobbyists and their employers will be able to go online to file or download their registration forms. The Registry of Election Finance, which used to oversee lobbyists, will now focus solely on the state’s campaign finance laws.