The Harris County attorney's office said that Commissioners Court could create an ethics board to investigate high-profile departments... but it simply wouldn't have the power to do anything once it found wrongdoing.

From the Chronicle's Liz Austin Peterson:

Commissioners Court would not need legislative permission to create a board to investigate ethics complaints involving some county offices, but the panel would lack power over many high-profile departments, the county attorney's office said.

Establishing the ethics board was one of the top recommendations from a five-member ethics reform task force appointed by County Judge Ed Emmett in February as a wave of controversies in county government became an issue in his heated primary battle.

The task force envisioned a board that would participate in the investigation and resolution of major ethics cases, in conjunction with the county and district attorneys' offices.

But the county attorney's office told Emmett last week that the board could not have authority over the employees of independently elected officials, such as the sheriff and district attorney, or those in departments governed by a separate board, such as the Juvenile Probation Department and the Harris County Hospital District...

There have been a wave of ethics complaints against the members of county agencies and elected officials lately. Commissioner Jerry Eversole, who is facing corruption investigations by the FBI and the district attorney's office, has said he will likely be forced from office soon.

Update:

blogHouston on the news about Eversole leaving.

South Texas Chisme amplified today's story in the Chron.