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(1) From the date four weeks prior to any election through and including the date of the election, only those complaints may be filed which allege a violation of the code of ethics which occurred not more than one week prior to the date of filing the complaint. Except for complaints alleging a violation by a member of the county council, a candidate for a county council position or a councilmember-elect, the clerk shall process the complaint as provided in the following subsections of this section. The clerk shall immediately forward complaints alleging a violation by a member of the county council, a candidate for a county council position or a councilmember-elect to the administrator of the office of hearings administration who shall designate an employee of that office to serve as ex officio clerk of the ethics commission for the processing of such complaints as provided in the following subsections of this section.

(2) Immediately upon receipt of such a complaint, the clerk shall notify the chairperson and the respondent named in the complaint and shall deliver a copy of the complaint and its supporting documentation and evidence to them. Copies shall also be delivered forthwith to the remaining commission members. The clerk’s notice to the respondent shall also state that the respondent may file a written response to the complaint within five days of the date the complaint was filed with the commission.

(3) Immediately upon receipt of the complaint, the chairperson shall review the complaint pursuant to SCC 2.50.110(3) and, if the complaint is defective, shall, within two days of the filing of the complaint, enter an order stating the chairperson’s findings and dismissing the complaint.

(4) For those complaints which are not dismissed under subsection (3) of this section, the clerk shall confer with the commission chairperson and shall set a date and time for an expedited hearing on the complaint to be held not less than five nor more than 10 days from the date of filing the complaint.

(5) The clerk shall deliver to the complainant, the respondent and each commission member a notice of expedited hearing on the complaint. Notice of the expedited hearing shall also be delivered to any person who has, at or prior to the time the complaint is filed, submitted a written request therefore. Notice of the hearing shall be published once in the official county newspaper prior to the hearing.

(6) The expedited hearing shall be conducted in accordance with SCC 2.50.110(10), (11) and (12) except that the parties shall not be required to file witness lists prior to the hearing. (Added by Amended Ord. 95-056 § 18, July 19, 1995, Eff date Oct. 25, 1995; Amended by Ord. 09-024, Apr. 22, 2009, Eff date May 8, 2009; Amended by Amended Ord. 13-043, June 19, 2013, Eff date Jan. 1, 2014).