Ethics and Transparency
Good government doesn't just mean doing what's legal; it means doing what's right.
What We're Doing
Seventy works hard to see that public officials are doing the right thing.
Permanent Inspector General
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.
Philadelphia Board of Ethics
Seventy also supports the Philadelphia Board of Ethics (whose creation we fought for) in continuing to enforce the city's campaign finance, lobbying and political activity laws.
Important Resources
Philadelphia Board of Ethics
The Philadelphia Board of Ethics, in addition to its enforcement responsibilities, hosts online databases on campaign finance, lobbying and financial disclosures of city officials.
Office of the Inspector General
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.
Chief Integrity Officer
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.
Recent News
April 02, 2024
Committee of Seventy Awarded $900,000 in Grant Funding
The Committee of Seventy announced that it has been awarded major grants totaling $900,000 to support its work to strengthen democracy, elections and civic education in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. This includes an $800,000 grant from William Penn Foundation, matching their previous investment from 2022—the largest grant Seventy ever received in its history. Seventy will also receive $80,000 from the Agua Fund, and $20,000 from CivXNow, a project of iCivics.
March 13, 2024
Committee of Seventy Releases Columns From Transition Sessions for Mayor and City Council
The Committee of Seventy, with support from the William Penn Foundation, hosted a series of briefings beginning in the fall of 2023 to help manage upcoming transitions into office for the Mayor and City Council. In an effort to share insights from the briefings with the public, Seventy released several columns on the sessions written by Dave Davies.
February 29, 2024
Committee of Seventy Launches Poll Worker and Poll Watcher Information Sessions
For the fourth consecutive year, the Committee of Seventy, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, launched its poll worker and poll watcher virtual information sessions in advance of the April 23, 2024 primary election. Between March 1st and April 22nd, Seventy and the LWVPA will host nearly 30 sessions designed for both new and experienced poll workers and poll watchers.
January 10, 2024
Committee of Seventy Releases Statement on Changes in Philadelphia City Commissioner’s Office
Committee of Seventy President and CEO Lauren Cristella released a statement regarding the appointment of City Commissioner Omar Sabir as Chairperson and Stephanie Reid as Director of Election Administration of the Philadelphia City Commissioners.
December 14, 2023
Committee of Seventy's Response to Philadelphia Ethics Board Announcement
C70's response to Ethics Board Announcement regarding their Campaign Finance Regulation (Regulation No. 1)
