Stories

Stockton Unified School District Trustee Kennetha Stevens voted on contracts for a nonprofit totaling more than $130,000 – a nonprofit for which she serves on the board

"Disclosure isn't optional in public service," says Davina Hurt, Ethics Center director of government ethics. "If you're voting to send public money to an organization you help govern, the public has a right to know before the vote."

"From an ethics standpoint, the concern is whether the trustee's actions preserve public trust," Hurt said. "Even when conduct is technically legal, undisclosed dual loyalties can create the appearance of hidden influence, which erodes confidence in democratic institutions."

Davina Hurt, director, government ethics, quoted by The Stockton Record.