Saturday, July 08, 2006

Prison scandal adds to list of ethics problems among Bush hires

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Immediately after Gov. Jeb Bush took office in 1999, he announced a code of ethics that he said would raise the state Capitol to a higher standard.

It included a wide range of requirements of his employees. No gifts worth more than $25 could be accepted and employees had to take a course on ethics, among other things.

The expectations, though, haven't always been met, and perhaps the worst breach of the standards he set came this week when former corrections Secretary James Crosby was charged with taking kickbacks from a company that sells snacks to prison visitors.

Crosby however isn't the first of Bush's appointments to face questions on ethics, but rather the latest addition to a list of agency heads who haven't made the best choices.

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