Elected officials' disclosure requirements under scrutiny

The Center for Public Integrity examined the disclosure laws for every governor in the nation.

Leah Rush, director of State Projects for the center, says Minnesota requires governors to detail their holdings, stocks and land ownership -- but does not require them to disclose their worth.

Rush says providing the information would help the public get a better idea of a governor's potential conflicts of interest.

"These are the people who are on the public payroll, and the public has a right to know what else is in this powerful person's life that will help them make decisions," says Rush. "In and of itself, non-disclosing doesn't create a conflict. But what it does is prohibit the public from determining for themselves whether there may be a conflict surrounding their government official."

Rush says the Center for Public Integrity makes no recommendations on what the state should do to improve its disclosure laws.

Rush says the state of Washington was the only one to receive an A grade because it requires public officials to disclose more than other states.

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