The ethics paradox

The problem is if you have risen to a place in the social and professional hierarchy where you are held in high regard by the plutocrats who nominate people to the "Ethics Review Board" that's a sure sign that you are pretty well ethically compromised already.

Only one member, James Brown, an attorney who works for the law firm Liskow & Lewis, disclosed a financial relationship with a city agency. The Lens was unable to find city transactions involving Boutin, Frampton or their employers.

Cowan works for Loyola University, which had at least four city contracts during the relevant period. He did not respond to a request for comment about his questionnaire.

Neither did Miller, an attorney at Phelps Dunbar, a law firm that frequently does business with the city. Miller also defended city contractor American Traffic Solutions in a federal case challenging the constitutionality of the city’s red-light camera program. The city was a co-defendant in the case. Miller disclosed none of that in the questionnaire.

Ricks, the chairman of Xavier University’s Division of Business, submitted his questionnaire in July 2013, just a few months after Xavier donated several parcels of land to the city. The land donation facilitated the construction of a $3 million publicly funded pedestrian bridge over Washington Avenue, a project the university had long sought to complete. On the questionnaire, Ricks wrote that he did not work for an entity that does business with the city.

But remember, these are the Grown Ups and they are in charge so it's all good.