"Virginia scores poorly on anti-corruption index

The S.W.A.M.P. Index — a clever acronym which stands for States with Anti-Corruption Measures for Public Officials

The S.W.A.M.P. Index scores states on their statutory anti-corruption measures. Only five states scored below Virginia. Washington, with 80 out of 100 possible points, scored the highest, followed by Rhode Island and the District of Columbia. Virginia ranks 46th in the nation.

The commonwealth is one of four states whose ethics agencies have no ability to impose sanctions of any kind, one of only two states with no ability to investigate reports of wrongdoing, one of eight states that does not statutorily protect ethics agency members from removal without cause, and one of two states that does not require independent spenders to report information about its contributors.