Degrees of Disclosure: Special Report
Requiring public officials to disclose their financial interests is designed to instill citizen confidence in government. It is the law in Virginia and in Tennessee, but a close inspection of disclosure statements reveals widespread deviation from the reporting requirements. Far from inspiring public trust, the statements reveal a story of confusion, carelessness and sometimes disregard for the law by those who fill them out. The Bristol Herald Courier and 11 Connects obtained and reviewed the 2009 statements of about 700 public officials in Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee. The investigation reveals pervasive errors, including the use of obsolete forms, blank fields, incomplete and sometimes incorrect information, missing schedules, and forms filed after the deadline. The sheer volume and frequency of the errors suggest that many public officials are uninformed or careless when disclosing their interests, raising questions about whether the documents are complete – and serving their purpose.
DATABASES:
Tennessee Database
Virginia Database: View details of the disclosure forms filed by local Virginia officials in our database. Details, when provided, are listed by question. In order to view the original form filed by the official, click through to the link provided in the results page.
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