Florida ethics complaints need the right sworn lane
A Florida ethics complaint starts with the Commission on Ethics form and a statement of facts, but it is not a substitute for a civil, criminal, court, or local employment case.
A Florida ethics complaint must fit the Ethics Commission’s role. It must also be sworn, signed in ink, and notarized. The office returns an unsigned email or an account that is not sworn.
The lane is narrower than “something in government felt wrong.” The Commission does not hear claims about judges. It does not review an ordinary agency decision, enforce open-meeting law, or step into a private court case. A court, local office, inspector general, police agency, employer, or lawyer may own those facts instead.
Use one form for each person named. Tie the story to dates, public office, votes, deals, gifts, reports, money, or another clear public duty. The current form allows no more than 15 pages in all. A short time line with well-named records is more useful than a box of loose paper.
Read the form’s scope and notary steps before you sign. Sending sworn facts to the body that can hear them gives those facts their best chance to be understood.
Official sources
Last checked against these sources: August 2, 2026.
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