Gwen Graham appointed to city of Tallahassee Independent Ethics Board

Former Congresswoman Gwen Graham is joining the city of Tallahassee's Independent Ethics Board.

State Attorney Jack Campbell appointed Graham, an attorney, to a three-year term on the board. She will replace attorney Cecil Davis, whose term wraps at the end of the year.

Campbell called Graham a "fantastic public servant" who can help the city during a time of difficulty. Earlier this week, City Hall was rocked by the indictment of City Commissioner Scott Maddox on numerous counts of federal corruption charges.

"As an attorney, she can certainly understand where there are violations of ethical and potentially criminal statutes," Campbell said. "And I think the citizens of this community are served when they have confidence in the city government. And it's my hope Gwen can help to restore that confidence."

The appointment is another clear indication that Graham intends to stay busy and visible following her upset loss earlier this year in the Democratic primary for Florida governor. Last month, she took a lead role in the Rebuild 850 effort to help North Florida recover from Hurricane Michael.

More:Gwen Graham could be statewide contender again, in four long years

Meanwhile, Public Defender Andy Thomas appointed Lee Bushong to fill a seventh slot on the Ethics Board that has been vacant since it began meeting in 2015. Bushong is an assistant professor of criminal justice at Florida A&M University who served in law enforcement and the U.S. Marine Corps, according to a city news release. His term runs for one year, though he will be eligible for reappointment in 2020.

In 2014, more than two-thirds of city voters approved creation of the Ethics Board, which has the power to investigate ethics complaints against city officials and punish those found to have committed ethical breaches.

The ballot language approved by voters called for a seven-member board, with the City Commission, Florida A&M University, Florida State University, the State Attorney's Office and the chief judge of the 2nd Judicial Circuit making the first five appointments; the remaining two members are picked by the board.

However, two chief judges declined to make appointments. A 2009 Florida Supreme Court Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee opinion says chief judges should not appoint ethics board members because it would affect public perception of the independence of the courts. Voters in November approved switching the appointment from the chief judge to the public defender.

The other five members of the Ethics Board are Chairman Richard Herring, who was appointed by FSU; Bryan Smith, who was appointed by FAMU; Bill Hollimon, who was appointed by the City Commission; and Bruce Grant and Renee McNeill, both of whom were appointed by the Ethics Board.

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.