Senate ethics officer Lyse Ricard resigns from post

The author of a damning report earlier this year that led to the eventual resignation of Sen. Don Meredith has herself resigned.

Senate ethics officer Lyse Ricard's departure was announced Monday by Sen. Raynell Andreychuk, the chairman of the chamber's ethics committee.

Ricard decided to leave because of the "unexpected illness of her husband," Andreychuk said in a statement. Theresignation takes effect June 30.

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"I wish to acknowledge the dedication, professionalism, hard work and integrity that Ms. Lyse Ricard, as the Senate Ethics Officer, brought to her position," the senator said in a statementon behalf of other current and former ethics committee members.

"During her tenure, the Senate Conflict of Interest Code was transformed into an Ethics and Conflict of Interest Code, truly giving credibility to her title as Senate Ethics Officer," the statement said.

In her March report,Ricardconcluded that Meredith had violated the chamber's code of ethics by engaging in a relationship with a girl when she was just 16 and recommended that the upper house take the unprecedented step of expelling him.

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Meredith, 52, resigned from the Senate in early May just as the upper chamber was believed ready to expel him over the relationship.

Ricard had been the Senate's ethics officer since 2012. Her resignation comesamid several investigations into senators' conduct.

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