Good government doesn't just mean doing what's legal; it means doing what's right. Seventy works hard to see that public officials are doing the right thing. And an important part of that is giving those officials clear guidelines and rules that help them not just comply with the law but serve you with honor and effectiveness. For instance, Seventy advocates for the creation of a permanent Inspector General within the City Charter to root out waste, fraud and corruption throughout the entire government. Seventy also supports the Philadelphia Board of Ethics (whose creatin we fought for) in continuing to enfore the city's campaign finance, lobbying and political activity laws.

Important Resources:

  • The Philadelphia Board of Ethics, in addition to its enforcement responsbilities, hosts online databases on campaign finance, lobbying and financial disclosures of city officials.
  • The Office of the Inspector General investigates reports of fraud and corruption in city government in addition to ensuring strict rules on city contracts are followed.
  • The Chief Integrity Officer works proactively to avoid potential issues by providing ethics training and guidance for city employees and officials. Visit IntegrityWorks for an overview of the city's public watchdogs and their responsibilities.


All three agencies are available to contact for questions or reports of potential wrongdoing.
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The Committee of Seventy applauds Councilman Derek Green, the Board of Ethics and the mayoral administration for their work in drafting this reasoned set of updates to financial disclosure rules that have not been adjusted or improved upon since the 1980s. Read More...
Committee of Seventy policy director, Pat Christmas, shares testimony with City Council around a proposal to amend the City of Philadelphia’s political activity rules in the Home Rule Charter, section 10-107. Read More...

Filed under: testimony

Committee of Seventy policy director, Pat Christmas, shares testimony with City Council around a proposal to amend the City of Philadelphia’s political activity rules in the Home Rule Charter, section 10-107. Read More...

Filed under: testimony

​ City Council today passed Bill 190606-AA which includes a number of significant changes to the current system of vacant land sales that promise greater accessibility, transparency and fairness. Read More...

Filed under: press release

Hundreds of government ethics professionals from around the country gathered this week in Philadelphia for a conference hosted by the Council on Government Ethics Laws. And yes, we can host such an event with a straight face. An overlooked story in a city cursed over a hundred years ago as “corrupt and contented” by the journalist Lincoln Steffens is that our local public integrity laws and enforcement have in the last few years become a model for many cities. Read more here. Read More...