(a) Upon the sworn complaint of any person or on its own initiative, the Commission may refer to the Commission Counsel for investigation any alleged violations of this chapter. The Commission Counsel shall be the prosecuting attorney in disciplinary proceedings before the Commission. In any such investigation or proceeding, a defendant shall be given an opportunity to be heard after notice, to be advised and assisted by legal counsel, to produce witnesses and offer evidence, and to cross-examine witnesses. A transcript of any such proceeding shall be made and retained, subject to the confidentiality requirements of subsection (h) of this section.

(b) A member of the Commission shall be ineligible to participate, as a member of the Commission, in any commission proceeding relating to such member’s conduct. A member of the Commission who has been found by the Commission to have violated this chapter shall be ineligible to serve again as a member of the Commission.

(c) A member of the Commission may disqualify himself or herself from participating in any investigation of the conduct of any person upon submission in writing and under oath of an affidavit of disqualification stating that the member cannot render an impartial and unbiased decision in the case in which the member seeks to disqualify himself or herself.

(d) With respect to any violation with which a person has been charged and which the Commission has determined as proved, the Commission may take any 1 or more of the following actions:

(1) Issue a written reprimand or censure of that person’s conduct.

(2) With respect to a state employee or state officer, other than an elected official, remove, suspend, demote or take other appropriate disciplinary action with respect to that person, without regard to any limits imposed by Chapter 59 of this title but within the limits of the Constitution and other laws of the State.

(3) With respect to an honorary state official, recommend that appropriate action be taken to remove the official from office.

(e) In any proceeding before the Commission, upon the request of any person charged with a violation of this chapter, such person shall be permitted to inspect, copy or photograph books, papers, documents, photographs or other tangible objects which will be used as evidence against that person in a disciplinary hearing and which are material to the preparation of a defense.

(f) In any proceeding before the Commission, if the Commission Counsel or the Commission at any time receives any exculpatory information respecting an alleged violation against any person, it shall forthwith make such information available to such person.

(g) Any person charged with a violation of this chapter may apply to the Commission for the issuance of subpoenas for the appearance of witnesses and for the production of documents on the person’s behalf. The application shall be granted upon a concise showing by such person that the proposed testimony or evidence is relevant (or is reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of relevant evidence) and is not otherwise available. The application shall be denied if not made at a reasonable time or if the testimony or evidence would be merely cumulative.

(h) (1) All proceedings relating to a charged violation of this chapter shall be maintained confidential by the Commission unless:

a. Public disclosure is requested in writing by the person charged; or

b. the Commission determines after a hearing that a violation has occurred.

(2) Notwithstanding the confidentiality requirements of paragraph (h)(1) of this section, the Commission shall make available for public inspection the record of all proceedings relating to any decision of the Commission which is appealed to Superior Court and the Commission shall report to appropriate federal or state authorities any substantial evidence of a violation of any criminal law which comes to its attention in connection with any proceeding under this chapter.

(3) The chairperson of the Commission shall, with the approval of the Commission, establish such procedures as in the chairperson’s judgment may be necessary to prevent the disclosure of any record of any proceedings or other information received by the Commission or its staff except as permitted by this chapter.

67 Del. Laws, c. 417, § 1; 69 Del. Laws, c. 467, §§ 14-18; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.