Citing Hamilton, Howell wants to change ethics procedures

By: Tyler Whitley | Times-Dispatch
Published: November 24, 2009

Speaker of the House William J. Howell, R-Stafford, said today that he wants to "improve" ethics procedures that caused an investigation of former Del. Phillip A. Hamilton to be dropped.

A House Ethics Advisory Panel stopped investigating corruption charges against Hamilton after he resigned. The law says the panel can only investigate members of the General Assembly.

Hamilton is under fire for negotiating for himself a $40,000 salary at an Old Dominion University teaching institute that he set up with a state appropriation.

Howell said he will explore opportunities "to modify or improve the current process" during the 2010 session of the legislature.

Howell's administrative aide, Paul Nardo, said the speaker also wants to clarify whether the information gathered by the five-member panel before the investigation was halted can be made public. He was told last week that the information is confidential, Nardo said.

Howell, who ordered the inquiry, said he would have liked for the investigation to have been continued, but added that "other avenues of investigation may be available, if not already ongoing." This was a reference to a federal grand jury investigation. The grand jury has subpoenaed state documents related to Hamilton.

Hamilton, citing family considerations, resigned Sunday a week ago. He would not have served past Jan. 13 anyway because he was defeated in a bid for re-election.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said last week that the ethics law needs to be changed to allow a continuing investigation. He also said investigators should look into how ODU came to set up the institute and hire Hamilton.

A Republican, Hamilton was vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and chairman of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions. He served in the legislature for 21 years, representing the 93rd House district in James City County and Newport News.