Ethics committee approves Yale intern for Representative Hall's office

The Select Committee on Legislative Ethics approved an internship for Jake Bernstein, a Yale University Department of Political Science student, the committee chair said during a virtual meeting.

The approval matters because the committee reviews non-university internships to ensure they do not create conflicts such as covert lobbying or improper staffing arrangements. Joyce (Madam Chair, Select Committee on Legislative Ethics) explained the committee’s role and noted the office of Representative Hall requested the placement.

Administrator Kevin Reeve told the committee the internship began June 19 and will run into August or September; Bernstein will work on research and is expected to present a white paper to Representative Hall’s office. “We did approve it after consultation with the chair,” Reeve said, and added that the approval was returned to the representative’s office and forwarded to the rules committee chair for the staffing clearance that is handled separately.

Committee members emphasized process distinctions: the ethics committee reviews only the internship itself (for conflicts and required reporting), not broader staffing or payroll decisions, which are handled by the house or senate rules offices. Chair Joyce said the intern completed the committee’s required ethics training on July 25. A senator asked whether a salary had been approved; Joyce replied there is no salary associated with the internship and that the student is placed through their university.

The committee recorded no outstanding objections at the meeting. Reeve said the rules committee chair had not yet replied regarding staffing approval; the ethics committee’s action was limited to approving the internship under its statutory responsibilities.

The committee moved on after the discussion and put the internship approval on the record as approved and forwarded for the separate staffing determination.

Details and next steps: the ethics committee’s approval will await any action or confirmation from the rules committee chair about whether the office may proceed with the intern in that legislative office. The intern is expected to complete the assigned research and submit the white paper to Representative Hall’s office as described in the application provided to committee staff.