Frequently Asked Questions - Basic Information

You can get a blank financial disclosure form from the agency you serve, a county board of elections, or on the Ohio Ethics Commission’s website.

The Financial Disclosure Law is part of the Ohio Ethics Law, found in R.C. 102.02.

Financial disclosure is required because it:

• Reminds public officials and employees of their financial interests to help them avoid conflicts of interest; and
• Promotes confidence in the integrity of state and local public officials and employees through transparency, which provides citizens with information about the interests of public servants to protect against conflicts of interest.

Most are. The Commission is required to make filed statements available for public inspection R.C. 102.02(A)(7). However, the Ethics Law provides that some forms are “confidential”. R.C. 102.02(B).

At the local government level, school district/ESC superintendents, treasurers, and business managers file confidential financial disclosure forms. Click here to review a  list of confidential filers at the state government level.

Each confidential FDS is reviewed by the Commission for possible conflicts of interest. Any portion of a confidential form that shows possible conflicts is a public record. R.C. 102.02(B).