Montgomery, AL – A bill to allow the Alabama Ethics Commission to subpoena records and documents when investigating public officials has passed its first hurdle in the Alabama Legislature.
The House Judiciary Committee passed the bill by Rep. Cam Ward of Alabaster Wednesday on an apparent unanimous voice vote.
Ethics Commission Director Jim Sumner told lawmakers subpoena power would help his investigators get documents needed to determine if public officials have violated the state ethics law.
The bill passed after a spirited discussion, with some members expressing concern the commission might abuse the power and investigate officials for political reasons.
The bill was amended to say the commission could only use subpoena power after an investigation had gone beyond preliminary stages.
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