Watching wayward watchdogs

The Times, Gainesville, Ga.: It is both telling and troubling that the state agency assigned to police ethical behavior in government hasn’t been able to mind its own store.

And that needs to change.

The ethics commission, formerly known as the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, remains embroiled in legal disputes, faulty leadership and in- effectiveness.

Last week, it fired director Holly LaBerge after she was cited for failing to provide evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit brought against the state by her predecessor. Fulton County Superior Judge Ural Glanville fined her and the attorney general’s office $10,000 each for failing to disclose memos detailing conversations between her and aides for Gov. Nathan Deal.

Meanwhile, the commission remains stuck in limbo and cases have been backing up.

This is hardly what Georgians expect from a commission created to make sure public officials follow the rules of ethical behavior and serve the state legally and honorably.