2008 Press Releases

The Ethics Commission approved a Disposition Agreement on December 19, 2008, in which former state Undersecretary for Business Development Robert Coughlin admitted to violating the conflict of interest law by repeatedly participating officially as Undersecretary in matters of interest to the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council after Coughlin had applied for the position of MBC President. Coughlin paid a $10,000 civil penalty.

The Ethics Commission approved a Disposition Agreement on December 2, 2008 in which former Gloucester School Committee member Olimpia Palazzola admitted to violating the conflict of interest law and agreed to pay a $2,000 civil penalty.

The Ethics Commission on December 1, 2008 issued a Disposition Agreement in which state Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission member Mark Weissman admitted to violating the conflict of interest law by participating officially as an MFC member in matters of interest to the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, while having a private business relationship with the Alliance. Weissman paid a $2,500 civil penalty.

The Ethics Commission's Enforcement Division, in an Order to Show Cause issued on November 18, 2008, alleges that Norfolk property developer Jack Scott violated the conflict of interest law by offering a free week at his Pennsylvania cabin to the chairman of the Norfolk Conservation Commission while Scott had an application pending before the ConCom. A public hearing will be scheduled within 90 days.

The Ethics Commission issued an Order on November 4, 2008 terminating public proceedings against former Brockton Police Officer Charles Lincoln. In its Order, the Commission concluded that Lincoln's alleged conduct - falsely calling in sick to one public job so that he could work at another public job - did not amount to a use of his official position in violation of the conflict of interest law.

The Ethics Commission issued a Disposition Agreement on October 29, 2008 in which former Southampton Board of Health member Joseph Slattery admitted to violating the conflict of interest law by holding multiple municipal positions and by accepting appointment by his own Board to a position supervised by that Board. Slattery paid a $4,000 fine.

The Ethics Commission issued a Decision and Order on October 24, 2008 in its case against Revere Water and Sewer Department Water Facilities Director Joseph Maglione in which it concluded that the Commission's Enforcement Division did not prove by a preponderance of the evidence that Maglione had violated the conflict of interest law.

The Ethics Commission issued a Decision and Order on September 30, 2008 dismissing its case alleging violations of the conflict of interest law by former Executive Office of Public Safety Assistant Secretary Michael J. O’Toole. The Decision and Order was based on the Enforcement Division's failure to file its Order to Show Cause within the three year statute of limitations period set forth in the Commission's regulations.

According to a Dispostion Agreement released on September 11, 2008, the Ethics Commission fined former Waltham Police Chief Edward Drew $1000 for violating the conflict of interest law by involving himself in an internal police department selection process to appoint three background investigators while his daughter, Officer Jennifer Vadnais, was an applicant for one of the positions.

The Ethics Commission issued a Decision and Order on August 18, 2008 finding that Boston City Council Assistant Research Director Lincoln Smith violated the conflict of interest law by invoking his City Council position and the powers associated with the Boston City Council in connection with a claim against a parking service company for damage to his personal vehicle. Smith was fined $1,000 for the violation.

Effective immediately (August 14, 2008), the State Ethics Commission's Legal Division is adopting a new form scheduling order and implementing a pilot e-filing program for adjudicatory proceedings. These changes are intended to eliminate delays and increase schedule predictability, as well as to make it easier for parties to file legal papers with the Commission.

The Ethics Commission issued a Public Education Letter to Pittsfield Mayor James M. Ruberto for holding two political events in public buildings. The Commission found reasonable cause to believe that Ruberto violated the conflict of interest law, and issued a public education letter in lieu of initiating public adjudicatory proceedings.

The Enforcement Division of the State Ethics Commission filed two Orders to Show Cause on June 26, 2008 alleging that Berkshire Dukes baseball team owner Daniel Duquette violated the Conflict of Interest Law by offering to sell two tickets to Game 2 of the 2004 World Series at face value to Pittsfield Mayor James M. Ruberto, and that Ruberto, a municipal employee, violated the Conflict of Interest Law by accepting that offer, during the time that Duquette and Ruberto were negotiating to allow the Berkshire Dukes to play at Pittsfield's Wahconah Park. The filing of the Orders to Show Cause initiates the public adjudicatory hearing process for the State Ethics Commission. Public hearings on the allegations will be scheduled within 90 days.

The Ethics Commission approved a Disposition Agreement on June 19, 2008, in which P.A. Landers, Inc. admitted to violating the conflict of interest law through the actions of its employee, who made illegal reimbursement payments for gasoline expenses to a Massachusetts Highway Department construction inspector. P.A. Landers, Inc. paid a $10,000 civil penalty.

The Ethics Commission approved a Disposition Agreement on June 19, 2008, in which former Randolph Housing Authority Executive Director Joseph W. Daly admitted to violating the conflict of interest law by approving applications for housing where Daly and/or his father had financial interests, and for using his official position to secure unwarranted benefits for himself and others. Daly paid a $5,000 fine.

In a Decision and Order issued on May 21, 2008, the Ethics Commission approved a Disposition Agreement in which Sandwich Planning Board member Julie C. Molloy agreed to forfeit attorney's fees of $1,700 and pay a penalty of $1,300 for violating the conflict of interest law. In the Disposition Agreement, Molloy admitted that she had violated the conflict of interest law by appearing before the Sandwich Zoning Board of Appeals on behalf of her private law clients to oppose a special permit application after she had participated in her capacity as a Planning Board member in formulating comments on the same special permit application.

The Ethics Commission issued a Decision and Order on May 16, 2008 dismissing its case against former Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office Assistant Deputy Superintendent of Operations Richard Bonavita based on the Enforcement Division's failure to file its Order to Show Cause within the three year statute of limitations period set forth in the Commission's regulations.

According to a Disposition Agreement released on April 30, 2008, former Middlesex Retirement Board member Lawrence P. Driscoll admitted violating the conflict of interest law by (1) improperly awarding to his friend a $557,000 building renovation contract for the retirement board's headquarters and failing to disclose the friendship; (2) subsequently voting to hire this friend as the headquarters facilities manager and failing to disclose the friendship; and (3) submitting improper expense reimbursement requests. Driscoll paid a $10,000 civil penalty and a civil forfeiture of $2,683.

The Ethics Commission's Enforcement Division, in three separate Orders to Show Cause, alleges that Central Artery contractor, P.J. Riley & Company, and its Executive Vice President Thomas E. Riley, Jr., repeatedly violated the conflict of interest law by giving Boston Red Sox tickets to a Commonwealth plumbing and gasfitter senior inspector, Taylor Roth, while Roth issued permits for and conducted inspections of P.J. Riley’s work. Roth is being prosecuted in connection with his receipt of the tickets. A public hearing will be scheduled within 90 days.

The Ethics Commission's Enforcement Division, in an Order to Show Cause issued on April 8, 2008, alleges that a former project manager for a Massachusetts Highway Department contractor repeatedly violated the conflict of interest law by corruptly giving cash payments to a Mass Highway construction inspector responsible for performing inspections of the contractor's work. A public hearing will be scheduled within 90 days.

The Ethics Commission's Enforcement Division, in an Order to Show Cause issued on March 27, 2008, alleges that Lona DeFeo, Maintenance Manager of the Everett Public Schools, violated the conflict of interest law by using school department resources and employees to perform private work for Superintendent Frederick Foresteire. A public hearing will be scheduled within 90 days.

The Ethics Commission's Enforcement Division, in an Order to Show Cause issued on March 14, 2008, alleges that Frederick Foresteire, Superintendent of the Everett Public Schools, violated the conflict of interest law by using school department employees during work hours to perform private home improvements, and by using public resources for private purposes.

Former Georgetown Fire Chief Harold Roeder admitted violating the conflict of interest law by leading the Georgetown Board of Fire Engineers to believe his private company would perform fire alarm wiring work pursuant to a Massachusetts Highway Department project involving the Fire Department in 2004. Roeder paid a civil penalty of $1,500.

The Ethics Commission's Enforcement Division issued an Order to Show Cause on February 28, 2008 alleging that former Marlborough Department of Community Development Finance Assistant Maureen Brennan repeatedly violated the conflict of interest law by participating in her fiancé's (and then husband's) loan and the loan application for a cousin. A public hearing will be scheduled within 90 days.

The Ethics Commission's Enforcement Division, in an Order to Show Cause issued on January 31, 2008, alleges that former Barnstable County Sheriff's Office Assistant Deputy Superintendent of Operations Richard Bonavita repeatedly violated the state's conflict of interest law by directing a Sheriff's Department mechanic to perform free automobile repairs for Bonavita and one of Bonavita's immediate family members. A public hearing will be scheduled within 90 days.

The Ethics Commission, in a Ruling and Order issued on January 16, 2008, ordered former Rockland Conservation Commissioner Kenneth Karlson to pay a $2,000 civil penalty for violating the conflict of interest law by receiving $10,000 from a developer as compensation for excavation work Karlson performed on a project subject to an Order of Conditions issued by the Rockland Conservation Commission.