Sean Mulholland, founder and president of Mulholland Investigation, is nominated to the Jacksonville Ethics Commission for a term beginning Jan. 1, 2025.
Cameron French, an attorney at Alexander DeGance Barnett, is nominated as the alternate.
The nominating committee selected Mulholland for the seat from a pool of eight applicants. His nomination approval was on the agenda for the commission’s Oct. 9 meeting that was canceled because of Hurricane Milton. The meeting was not rescheduled as of Oct. 16.
Mulholland’s appointment is subject to final confirmation by City Council.
Council enacted an ordinance in 1992 creating the Jacksonville Ethics Commission to provide a forum for consideration and investigation of ethical problems and issues.
The commission is authorized to review, interpret, render advisory opinions and enforce Chapter 602, Ordinance Code; and, in accordance with Section 1.202 of the City Charter, to exercise certain powers and duties:
• The commission is authorized to receive, and to investigate and issue findings with regard to any sworn written complaint alleging a violation of Chapter 602 or by a complaint initiated by a minimum vote of six members of the commission alleging a violation of ethics law.
All complaints and records are confidential as allowed by Section 112.324, Florida Statutes.
The commission is authorized to establish an ethics “hotline” to receive tips and information, each of which shall be treated with confidentiality as authorized by Florida law. The city general counsel assists the commission in the investigation of complaints. The commission may refer matters brought to its attention to the State Attorney’s Office or the Florida Commission on Ethics if it determines jurisdiction is vested in, and action is more appropriate if taken by those agencies.
• Provide assistance and input into the management and coordination of the training and education of local officers and employees in state and local ethics, including the city’s Ethics Education Program as set forth in Section 602.1001, as well as all public records and Sunshine Law training throughout the government.
• The commission may, upon employee or citizen complaint, or upon its own initiative, seek information and gather facts for the purpose of reviewing any circumstance or situation of which the commission may become aware that appears to violate or may potentially violate an acceptable standard of ethics conduct for city officers and employees as delineated in Section 1.202(d) of the Charter.
Based upon such review the Commission may make such recommendations to the mayor and the Council as it deems appropriate;
• Have jurisdiction to levy those civil fines or penalties authorized in this Chapter 602 for violations of the city’s ethics code;
The commission conducts quarterly meetings open to the public.
Visit jacksonville.gov/departments/ethics-commission for more information.