The federal ethics commissioner has no power to remove, discipline or even impose a substantial fine on politicians who break the law. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Article contentThe bad news is the legislation which guides the actions of the commissioner — the federal conflict of interest act — is notoriously weak and has no teeth when it comes to enforcement. Under the federal conflict of interest act, the commissioner has no power to remove, discipline or even impose a substantial fine on politicians who break the law. The maximum fine, $500, is for administrative foul-ups, such as failing to file paperwork on time.