The Essence of Ethics

The Florida ethics statute is not about ethics taught on an academic level, which generally discuss a body of principles of right or good conduct, or the study of the general nature of morals or moral choices. It is, rather, money-based or personal benefit-based. The statute’s primary thrust is using an office or a position to obtain a benefit for yourself, a member of your family, an employer, or others. Essentially, it is about using an office or a position to benefit yourself in a manner that would not be possible without the use of that office. The ethics statute deals with conflicts between the duties and responsibilities of an office or position and the personal interests of the person holding that office. It concerns itself with situations in which a regard for a private interest tends to lead to a disregard of a public duty.