In recent Florida headlines, the former chairman of the Florida Commission on Ethics, Glenton "Glen" Gilzean Jr., resigned from the commission citing to potential incompatibility with his position as district administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which he's held since May 10. Established by the Florida Legislature, the CFTOD exercises local government authority over approximately 25,000 acres of land in Orange and Osceola counties, and is engaged in litigation against Walt Disney World in Orange County's 9th Judicial Circuit Court and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Gilzean's resignation followed the public disclosure of an Aug. 17 memorandum from the deputy executive director and general counsel of the commission, opining that Gilzean's serving on the commission, which is an unpaid post, while employed with the CFTOD, violated Florida law.

According to the commission, it "serves as the guardian of the standards of conduct of officers and employees of Florida" and "functions as an independent commission," among other things, investigations of allegations of ethical misconduct by public officials. To that end, the commission enforces Florida's Code of Ethics, and plays a similar role as the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General (OIG).