Complaints

Report ethics violations, fraud, waste, abuse, or corruption via phone, or web. The process is managed by a third party, available 24/7, confidential, and you may remain anonymous.

Ethics Misconduct?

Report Ethical Misconduct, Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Corruption. Confidential and Independent.

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877-860-1061

Call the Tip Line
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Report Online

Report a Violation to the Inspector General
  • The Code of Ethics applies to city officials, employees, and persons doing business with the city. There are also some requirements in 12A for lobbyists to follow.
    • 12A-6 (retaliation for cooperation prohibited);
    • 12A-7 (shall not encourage, use, recruit, or help another person to violate the Code);
    • 12A-8 (duty to report violations);
    • 12A-24 (duty to recuse if there is a conflict);
    • 12A-52(e) (duty to cooperate with an investigation);
    • 12A-52(d)(1) (duty to keep investigations confidential)
    • 12A-58 (duty to be truthful with investigators)
    • 12A-59 (duty to avoid interference with investigations)
  • The OIG Hotline accepts tips and complaints from any City of Dallas resident, employee, or city official, or person doing business with the city, regarding potential ethical issues within the city (including those related to fraud, waste, abuse, public corruption, and official misconduct). Every report we receive is important, however, some submissions may not result in an investigation. 
  • The main channel for making a complaint about ethics, fraud, waste, abuse, and official misconduct is the OIG hotline. The hotline is a confidential system run by a third party that is available 24/7 to receive your complaint via phone, weblink or QR Code. The phone number is 877-860-1061, here is the weblink, and the QR Code.

  • ​Our investigations are most successful when you provide as much information as possible about the allegation and those involved. The more you tell us, the better chance we have of determining whether an investigation can be pursued. Incomplete complaints may result in an investigation that cannot move forward due to a lack of information. To the greatest extent possible, the complaint should contain the following information and items:

     (1) The name, address, email address, and telephone number of the complainant.
     (2) The name, address (if known), email address (if known), and telephone number (if known) of each person who allegedly committed the violation (the respondent(s)).
     (3) A statement of the facts on which the complaint is based, including the exact date or dates of the alleged violation.
     (4) Identification of the ethics laws, ordinances, and rules allegedly violated, using either a citation to the applicable section or a description containing substantially the same language as the ethics laws, ordinances, and rules (if known).
     (5) Copies of the documents or other evidence, if any, referenced in the complaint or in the complainant's possession that support the complaint attached to the complaint.
    (6) The names, addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers (if known) of witnesses, if any, that can offer testimony in support of the complaint.
     (7) Other sources of evidence, if any, that the complainant recommends should be considered by the inspector general.
     (8) An affidavit in which the complainant swears or affirms, under the penalty of perjury, that:
         (A) the complaint states a violation of this chapter;
    (B) the complaint is not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, cause unnecessary delays, or needlessly increase the cost of defense to the person charged in the complaint; and

         (C) either:
             (i) all information submitted in and with the complaint is true and correct; or
    (ii) to the best of the complainant’s knowledge, the factual contentions in the complaint are supported by credible evidence submitted in and with the complaint.

  • An OIG employee will review your complaint for relevance and completeness. Some complaints may not result in an investigation. Due to the high volume of complaints, it may not be possible to contact every complainant. If an investigator needs to reach out to you for further information regarding your complaint, they will contact you using the telephone number and email address you left on the complaint. However, if you are not contacted, it does not mean your complaint is not being investigated.

    Any anonymous complaint submitted through the OIG Hotline will contain a portal for anonymous communication with an investigator.

  • ​The fullest update you are likely to receive will be through the OIG quarterly reports. You can rest assured that the complaint will be investigated by our investigators. Otherwise, it is important to the process that the investigation itself remains as confidential as possible. If the case is closed, you will not be able to see a copy of the investigative report. If the investigation results in a hearing, that hearing and related documents will become public information that can be accessed. You can find all our quarterly reports on the resource tab of this web page.

  • ​The Code provides that no city official or employee shall reveal information relating to a complaint or investigation until it has been made public by the inspector general, except as required for the performance of official duties or as required by law.

    People who contact the hotline may request confidentiality and can be assured that their identities are generally not revealed. The OIG will keep your identity confidential to the extent possible. However, in some cases, it may be necessary to share your complaint if we need to refer the matter to a more suitable department, agency, or work with another governmental agency to investigate your complaint. Your identity may be revealed if it is the only way to effectively investigate the alleged matter or as otherwise required by law.

  • ​The short answer is yes. If the complaint does not give the investigators enough to go on, they may reach out to you through the third-party administrator of the hotline. Often a case cannot go forward without the complaining witness deciding to become a witness.

  • ​A whistleblower is a person who exposes any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal, unethical, or not correct within an organization.

    When a whistleblower makes a complaint to the OIG, they are protected under the Code of Ethics.  For example, a person commits an offense if he or she retaliates against any person for filing a complaint, testifying, assisting, or participating in any manner in a proceeding or hearing. Additionally, the Texas Whistleblower Act protects public employees who make good faith reports of violations of law by their employer to an appropriate law enforcement authority. An employer may not suspend or terminate the employment of, or take other adverse personnel action against a public employee who makes a report under the Act. Examples of adverse actions may include termination, refusal to hire, denial of promotion, threats, unjustified negative evaluations or references, or increased surveillance.

  • ​The inspector general shall not accept, process, or investigate any complaint that is filed more than one year after the date of the alleged or suspected violation. This statute of limitations is paused during ongoing criminal or civil litigation in accordance with Section 12A-47(b)(3).

  • Selected violations specific to the Code of Ethics:

    1. Gifts: You cannot accept a gift if it looks like it would influence or reward a reasonable person for doing your job, and you cannot accept a gift from a person or business that does intend to influence you. You cannot take any form of cash from a person or business who is or wants to do business with the city, and you cannot accept anything but a plaque in return for doing your job. Similarly, a person or business must not offer gifts that look influential or that are intended to influence you. Note there are reporting requirements for gifts.
    2. Personal benefit to others: You cannot use your position to do or not do your job if that results in a personal benefit for a relative, business, financial, or employment relationship.
    3. Miscellaneous conflicts: You cannot acquire an interest in any matter that you know will be affected by upcoming official action or in a matter of the city decided within the previous year. You cannot make a deal to be rewarded for official action. Also, you cannot award or participate in a matter that benefits a former employer within twelve months of starting with the city.
    4. Donations: Like gifts, you cannot accept a donation if it looks like it would influence or reward a reasonable person for doing their job, and you cannot accept a donation from a person or business that does intend to influence you. Note there are reporting requirements.
    5. Nepotism: You cannot influence the appointment or hiring of a relative, and you cannot be the immediate supervisor of a relative.
    6. Confidential information: You cannot use your access to confidential government information to secure official information for any reason unrelated to doing your job. Similarly, you cannot disclose official information, including disclosure of a closed meeting.
    7. Representation of private interests: You cannot represent others before the city for money or before a board, commission, or body where you work.
    8. Conflicting outside employment: You cannot work a side job if it interferes with the performance of your job for the city. Similarly, you cannot provide services for people or organizations that need anything from the board, commission, or body where you work.
    9. Public property and resources: City workers and resources are not at your disposal to use for yourself or your campaign.
    10. Political activity: Do not use your position to influence or engage in campaigns. Examples include putting stickers on city vehicles, influencing subordinates to get involved in a campaign, endorsing candidates as a city employee, or being paid to campaign on a ballot item that you worked on as a city employee.
    11. Prohibited interests in contracts: You cannot have a direct or indirect financial interest in contracts or sales to the city. Similarly, you must not submit a bid or negotiate to enter into a city contract or participate in the making/awarding of city contracts if a party to the contract was your employer within the last 12 months.
    12. Ex parte communications: If a matter is or reasonably may be pending before a quasi-judicial city board or commission regarding any adjudicative matter, you should not discuss it with any city official of the board or commission unless you make a simultaneous and full disclosure of the communication.
    If your complaint or allegation does not directly relate to city officials, employees, and persons doing business with the city who are involved with fraud, waste, abuse, public corruption, or an ethics violation, you may need to contact another City of Dallas office, Federal or State agency for assistance. The following matters are not generally investigated by the OIG: 911 emergencies, social security fraud, identity theft, tax fraud, phone scams, spam calls, and Medicare/Medicaid fraud.

  • ​Initially, complaints are evaluated for viability. This means questions are addressed such as whether this matter is a violation of 12A or something else; will the OIG have jurisdiction over the compliant; is the complaint filed in time; can the complaint be proven before the Ethics Advisory Commission; etc. If these questions are answered in the affirmative, a full investigation will commence seeking to gather the facts needed to determine if the matter should be taken to a hearing, referred, or closed. It is possible that the complaint will be referred to another agency at any time in this process.

  • All relevant information will be gathered. This may include witness testimony, audio/visual evidence, real evidence, and records of most every type. As a participant in the complaint process, you can anticipate being called on during the investigation to share what you know. If you are a city official, employee, or person doing business with the Code, you will have a duty to cooperate, be truthful, and avoid interference with the investigation.

  • ​When the OIG files an information with the Ethics Advisory Commission regarding a complaint, there will likely be a hearing. By filing an information, the OIG is saying that it believes it can prove that a violation of Chapter 12A occurred. The hearing will be heard by a five-person panel of the Ethics Advisory Commission consisting of at least two members with special qualifications in ethics or law. 

  • ​People accused of a violation are referred to as respondents. Respondents may appear at the hearing with an advocate and make a statement, and present and cross-examine witnesses. 

  • ​After hearing evidence from both sides, a quorum of the panel will decide the matter based on the burden of proof which is a preponderance of the evidence. Each element of the violation must be proven along with the mental state of knowingly acting or failing to act.

  • ​If a violation is found to have occurred, the Ethics Advisory Commission will say it is substantiated and they will issue a written report. There is no appeal from this decision. From that point, the issue of discipline will be addressed by the panel in the form of a recommendation to the body with jurisdiction to decide what discipline or sanction is appropriate. In some cases, this is the city council, in other cases the issue is handled according to personnel rules and guidelines. 

  • ​The OIG is responsible for the Integrity Officer Program (IOP). The IOP is run by the chief integrity officer Baron Eliason. The program is designed to promote a culture of ethics in the city through training programs and other communications, helping the Ethics Advisory Commission and a list of others with ethics questions, writing advisory opinions, annually distributing a plain language guide to the Code of Ethics, and assisting the inspector general in the enforcement of the Code.

    The training programs consist of three types: regular, requested, and development. City employees and officials can participate in any of these. To request a program, simply contact Marisela.quintas@dallas.gov

  • ​An advisory opinion is a confidential document that informs you as to whether a future action would violate the Code. A person who reasonably acts on the opinion is shielded from responsibility for violating the Code so long as they accurately provided all the needed facts. A city employee or official can request one at attethicsadvisoryinquiries@dallas.gov.