A sheriff who trades privileges to jail inmates for sex or a House speaker who takes thousands of dollars from businesses that need favors from the state cannot be tolerated. When such conduct doesn't violate state law, something is terribly wrong. And the state should not have to depend on the federal courts every time a public official gets in trouble. Some of these problems might have been avoided if anyone had ever really gotten serious enough to give the Ethics Commission the power to initiate investigations and the teeth to punish those found guilty. Under current law a formal complaint has to be filed.
Few people have the nerve to file a complaint and withstand the wrath of a public official.
The officials usually escape with little or no punishment. St. Petersburg Times.