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
January 26, 2022
C70 Testimony on Philadelphia City Council Redistricting - Bill No. 220003
C70 Policy Director Patrick Christmas provides testimony regarding City Council's proposed map.
January 12, 2022
C70 Letter to the PA House of Representatives Opposing HB38
To those who value our system of checks and balances, House Bill 38 contemplates a fundamentally different relationship between the legislative and judicial branches wherein the former has unequal power over the latter. Such a change would irreparably and severely impair the governance of the Commonwealth, and would harm the independence and impartiality of our court system.
C70 urges the PA House to not advance this proposed constitutional amendment and allow HB 38 to lapse at the end of this session.
December 02, 2021
Press Coverage of New CEO Announcement
The Committee of Seventy announced Al Schmidt as our new President & CEO, effective January 3, 2022. A round-up of national and local news coverage can be found here.
December 01, 2021
Press Coverage of People Over Politics Movement
On Monday, November 29th, the Committee of Seventy joined a number of elected officials and good government groups including the League of Women Voters and Common Cause, in calling for reforms to combat corruption in Philadelphia.
November 30, 2021
Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt to Serve as President & CEO of Committee of Seventy
Today, the Committee of Seventy’s Board of Directors announced that Al Schmidt has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of Pennsylvania’s long standing nonpartisan advocate for better government.
