Open Forum: More Bureaucracy, Same Problems: The Case Against a Virgin Islands Ethics Commission

In the wake of the corruption crisis surrounding the Virgin Islands Government, Sen. Kenneth L. Gittens has called for the creation of an ethics commission. On the surface, this might seem like a promising solution to our deeply rooted issues with accountability and integrity. However, creating such a commission distracts from the real problem: the lack of enforcement of existing laws.

We already have a comprehensive set of laws designed to uphold ethical standards and prevent corruption within our government. These laws would be more than sufficient to maintain transparency and accountability if enforced. The real issue is that these laws are routinely ignored, and enforcement is virtually nonexistent. An ethics commission will not change this fundamental problem.

In 2012, the 29th Legislature passed Act 7408, the Virgin Islands Government Transparency Act, which requires all government agencies to post their financial records, contracts, and expenditures online. The law mandates that the government “establish and maintain an official Internet website that is electronically searchable by the public at no cost and contains a comprehensive database of recipients and expenditures of the territory’s funds.” Nearly 12 years later, that law has yet to be implemented.