Terms Used In Maryland Code, GENERAL PROVISIONS 5-516

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • including: means includes or including by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. See
  • Person: includes an individual, receiver, trustee, guardian, personal representative, fiduciary, representative of any kind, corporation, partnership, business trust, statutory trust, limited liability company, firm, association, or other nongovernmental entity. See
  • Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
  • state: means :

    (1) a state, possession, territory, or commonwealth of the United States; or

    (2) the District of Columbia. See
(a) A complaint alleging that a member of the General Assembly may have violated standards of ethical conduct, including § 2-108 of the State Government Article, may be filed with the Joint Ethics Committee by:

(1) a written statement from any person, accompanied by an affidavit, setting forth the facts on which the statement is based;

(2) motion of a majority of the membership of the Joint Ethics Committee; or

(3) referral of a matter to the Joint Ethics Committee by a presiding officer of the General Assembly as provided in § 2-706(a)(5) of the State Government Article.

(b) (1) The Joint Ethics Committee shall provide a copy of each complaint filed under subsection (a) of this section to the presiding officer of the house of the legislator who is the subject of the complaint.

(2) Based on the information contained in a complaint provided to a presiding officer under paragraph (1) of this subsection, if a presiding officer determines that it is inappropriate for a Joint Ethics Committee member from that house to consider a particular matter, the presiding officer shall appoint a substitute member to the Joint Ethics Committee for its consideration of the matter.