Legislative Ethics Commission Names David E. Risley Acting Inspector General

Overview

• The bipartisan Legislative Ethics Commission voted to install David E. Risley as acting Legislative Inspector General beginning at the start of October to keep the office operating after Michael McCuskey announced his planned departure.
• Risley is a veteran investigator and former assistant U.S. attorney with more than 30 years of prosecutorial experience, past work probing crimes against humanity in Iraq, and prior service as an ethics adviser in state government.
• McCuskey drew sharp criticism this summer for his probe of ex‑Rep. Harry Benton, with at least one complainant disputing alleged inaccuracies and saying an interview was not recorded or fully documented, which helped fuel calls for change.
• Lawmakers and ethics experts are pressing for statutory reforms to give the inspector general independent powers such as subpoena authority and the ability to publish reports without LEC approval, and the commission has opened a formal search for a permanent replacement.
• The appointment could shape how future complaints are handled because Risley can serve through the current term and because renewed legislative proposals seek stronger enforcement tools that would alter the office’s authority and public credibility.