Considering Ohio's new ethics strategy of publicly shaming politicians

Governing Magazine, which covers politics, policy and management for state and local government leaders, looks at recent actions by State Auditor Dave Yost to shine public attention on unethical behavior by government officials across Ohio.

"When it comes to public ethics, things aren't always black or white," writes Data Editor Mike Maciag in the September issue. "There are plenty of actions that might not be illegal, but nonetheless would be seen by most people as an abuse of power.

"In Ohio, such occurrences ultimately went unflagged in audit reports. But State Auditor Dave Yost wants to change that. In July, he implemented a new policy allowing for findings of 'abuse' that are meant to draw attention to highly questionable behavior by public officials not directly contradicting state rules or laws."

Officials found to have committed abuses won't necessarily face penalties in a courtroom, Yost says, but they'll be subject to the court of public opinion and the possibility of public shaming will act as a deterrent.

Let's hope he's right.

Read the full Governing Magazine story here.