5403.1 The Board may dismiss, at any stage of the proceedings, any claim, complaint, request for investigation, investigation, or portion of an investigation that the Ethics Board finds to be without merit.

5403.2 The Ethics Board may require a person who made or caused to be made a claim, complaint, or request for investigation in bad faith and without merit to pay reasonable fees for time spent reviewing or investigating the claim, complaint, or request for investigation including reasonable attorney’s fees for the individual wrongfully named in the claim, complaint, or request for investigation.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 747 (January 25, 2013).