Abbott v. Delaware State Public Integrity Commission

Summary

The Supreme Court of Delaware affirmed the Superior Court’s judgment upholding the Commission’s dismissal of Abbott’s ethics complaint. On certiorari review, the Court held that the Commission did not exceed its jurisdiction, proceed illegally or manifestly contrary to law, or proceed irregularly by finding that Abbott failed to plead an appearance-of-impropriety violation and by declining to pursue conduct more appropriately addressed through attorney-discipline procedures. The Court also held that separately analyzing Abbott’s declaratory-judgment claim was unnecessary because the Superior Court had addressed the asserted errors in its substantive analysis.