South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announced Thursday the creation of a special commission on ethics reform. The panel will be headed by former state attorneys general and will join with similar efforts in the legislature to recommend a set of ethics reforms for the lawmakers to consider when the 2013 legislative session convenes in January.

In March, the State Integrity Investigation gave South Carolina an F as part of a state-by-state report card on ethics, accountability and transparency. Since then, Haley and other state leaders have been rocked by a series of ethics scandals. With elections nearing, reform is an increasingly hot topic in on the campaign trail.

See The State for complete coverage of Haley’s announcement.