PUBLIC SESSION
MEETING CONVENED
Chair Margot Botsford called the meeting to order at 9:40 a.m. Also in attendance were Vice Chair Thomas A. Connors, Commissioner Eron Hackshaw, Commissioner Patrick Hanley, and Commissioner Jeffrey T. Collins.
REMOTE PARTICIPATION
Chair Botsford announced that the meeting would take place in-person with remote access provided to the public pursuant to the law signed by Governor Healey on March 28, 2025. Chair Botsford noted that all votes at the meeting would be taken by roll call.
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
On the motion of Chair Botsford, seconded by Vice Chair Connors, the Commission voted 5-0 to waive the reading of the March 26, 2026 Commission meeting.
| Vote: | |
|---|---|
| Chair Botsford | Yes |
| Vice Chair Connors | Yes |
| Commissioner Hackshaw | Yes |
| Commissioner Hanley | Yes |
| Commissioner Collins | Yes |
On the motion of Chair Botsford, seconded by Vice Chair Connors, the Commission voted 5-0 to approve the public session minutes of the March 26, 2026 Commission meeting.
| Vote: | |
|---|---|
| Chair Botsford | Yes |
| Vice Chair Connors | Yes |
| Commissioner Hackshaw | Yes |
| Commissioner Hanley | Yes |
| Commissioner Collins | Yes |
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT
Executive Director David A. Wilson presented his monthly report.
Personnel
Mr. Wilson reported that the open Assistant Enforcement Counsel position had been filled and that Cameron MacKay would join the Commission on May 11, 2026. He stated that Ms. MacKay was joining the Commission from the Committee for Public Counsel Services, where she served for more than six years as a Trial Attorney in the Children and Family Law Division. Mr. Wilson commended the Enforcement Division for doing an excellent job in recruiting, selecting, and recommending the hiring of Ms. MacKay and said that Enforcement Division Chief Monica Brookman would discuss the hire further during her report. He noted that all Commission staff vacancies have been filled.
Budget
Mr. Wilson provided an update on the Commission’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request. Mr. Wilson reported that he and Government Affairs Officer Jennifer McCullough continued to meet with legislators to advocate for the Commission’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request of $4,007,431 and to provide updates on the Commission’s activities, including the ongoing SFI e-filing system replacement project. He noted that the legislators are all SFI filers and they expressed interest in improvements to the filing system, particularly in the ease of filing. Mr. Wilson stated that he and Ms. McCullough met with Representatives Michael Day, Brandy Fluker Reid, Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Paul McMurtry, and House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz and Senators Michael Moore and Michael Rush. He further noted that Commissioner Collins joined meetings with Senator Rush and Representative Day. Commissioner Collins stated that the meetings were productive and that the legislators appeared engaged and interested in the Commission’s presentation. He noted that the meeting with Representative Day occurred before the House budget was released and the meeting with Senator Rush occurred afterward. Commissioner Collins stated that, during both meetings, the legislators listened carefully to the Commission’s concerns. Mr. Wilson thanked Commissioner Collins for participating in the meetings and stated that Commissioner participation adds extra depth to the Commission’s advocacy efforts and reinforces the importance of the Commission’s work.
Mr. Wilson explained that the Commission had advocated to close the approximately $90,000 gap between the Commission’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request and the Governor’s H.2 recommendation. He reported that, on April 15, 2026, the House Committee on Ways and Means released its proposed budget, which recommended funding approximately $78,000 below the H.2 recommendation and approximately $168,266 below the Commission’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request. Mr. Wilson further reported that Representative James Arciero submitted Amendment No.1440 to increase the Commission’s appropriation and that the amendment was adopted earlier that week and incorporated into the House budget. He noted that the amendment’s co-sponsors included Representatives Paul McMurtry, Russell Holmes, Brandy Fluker Reid, Joseph McGonagle, Lisa Field, Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Edward Philips, Sean Garballey, Daniel Cahill, Andrew Tarr, David Robertson, Adrian Madaro, Steven Xiarhos, and Samantha Montaño. Mr. Wilson expressed gratitude for the support of the sponsor and co-sponsors.
Mr. Wilson stated that, in addition to meetings with legislators, Ms. McCullough had separate discussions with staff members of the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means, which he described as very important to the Commission’s advocacy efforts. He explained that the budget process would next move to the Senate, with the Senate Committee on Ways and Means budget expected in mid-May, followed by Senate debate, the Senate budget, and eventual Conference Committee reconciliation of differences between the House and Senate budget proposals. Mr. Wilson noted that, although the recent amendment reflected meaningful support for the Commission, the budget process remained ongoing and additional advocacy efforts would continue. He said that the current fiscal year budget cycle had been thus far the most difficult he had experienced during his years working on the Commission’s budget.
New Commissioner
Mr. Wilson stated that there was nothing new to report regarding the appointment of a new Commissioner to succeed Commissioner Hackshaw. He explained that he had been in regular contact with the Office of the Attorney General regarding the appointment and that, although no additional information had been provided, he anticipated that progress toward an appointment was being made. Mr. Wilson thanked Commissioner Hackshaw for his continued service on the Commission.
Ongoing Projects
Mr. Wilson reported that substantial progress had been made in the project to replace the Commission’s existing SFI e-filing system and said the project would be discussed during SFI portion of the monthly report of the Legal Division.
Mr. Wilson reported that the Legal Case Management System project was nearing completion. He explained that the Commission had recently opened the public portal for the submission of complaints, requests for advice, and public records requests and that the portal would soon also allow for electronic case filings and the filing of conflict of interest disclosures, charter school trustees’ financial statements, and special municipal employee lists. Mr. Wilson stated that the portal would allow submissions to be entered directly into the Legal Case Management System with fewer manual steps required by Commission staff, thereby improving efficiency. He further reported that the Commission was in discussions with vendors regarding future maintenance of the system, which he noted would be a substantial expense.
Commissioners’ Event
Mr. Wilson reminded the Commission that the Commission event to honor former Commissioners Mills, Martinez, and Edwards was scheduled for May 5, 2026 at 12:30 p.m., and noted the invitation of all former and current Commissioners to attend.
Next Meeting
Mr. Wilson reminded the Commission that its next Commission meetings were scheduled for May 21, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. and June 18, 2026 at 9:30 a.m.
STAFF COMPENSATION
Mr. Wilson stated that, in December 2025, the Commission voted to authorize him, in consultation with Chief of Finance and Operations Benjamin Bloomenthal, to provide all non-management staff not paid according to the NAGE Unit 6 collective bargaining agreement salary schedule with a 1% cost of living increase (COLI) retroactive to July 2025 and longevity increases for eligible staff in amounts to be determined by the Executive Director in consultation with the CFO, not to exceed $23,000. He explained that, at the time, the Commission’s finances were very constrained due to a retirement payout for the former Chief Financial Officer and that, after consultation with Mr. Bloomenthal, he decided to provide the 1% COLI but to hold off on the longevity increases until it became clear that the Commission could afford them and while extra funding was sought to cover the retirement payout of $38,000. Mr. Wilson reported that Ms. McCullough had learned that the Executive Office for Administration and Finance would reimburse the Commission for the retirement payout, effectively restoring $38,000 to the Commission’s budget. He further reported that, with savings identified elsewhere in the budget by Mr. Bloomenthal, the Commission would be able to provide the previously authorized longevity increases for non-management staff eligible for them and to provide cost of living increases to all staff not paid according the NAGE Unit 6 CBA salary schedule, including all managers other than the Executive Director, equal to those already received by the staff paid according to the NAGE Unit 6 CBA salary schedule, at a total cost of a bit under $40,000.
Mr. Wilson stated that he was seeking Commission authorization to expend up to $40,000 in Fiscal Year 2026 to: provide a second retroactive 1% COLI covering the period from July 2025 to January 2026 to the non-Unit 6 non-management staff who had previously received a 1% COLI; provide those same non-management staff with an additional 2% COLI retroactive to January 1, 2026; provide eligible non-management staff with longevity increases retroactive to, or effective as of, the anniversary dates of their employment in their current positions; and provide managers, other than the Executive Director, with up-to-2% COLI retroactive to July 1, 2025 and a second up-to- 2% COLI retroactive to January 1, 2026, with the specific percentages to be determined by him, in consultation with Mr. Bloomenthal. Mr. Wilson noted that the proposed increases for managers would only be provided if the Commission could sustainably afford them within the budget and stated that he and Mr. Bloomenthal would continue to evaluate the Commission’s financial position. Vice Chair Connors asked how many employees were non-Unit 6, non-managers. Mr. Wilson responded that there were fifteen employees in that category at the Commission.
On the motion of Chair Botsford, seconded by Commissioner Hanley, the Commission voted 5-0 to authorize the Executive Director to, at his discretion and in consultation with the Chief of Finance and Operations, expend up to a total of $40,000 in FY 2026:
- To provide a second retroactive 1% cost of living increase (COLI) covering the period of July 2025 to January 2026 to the non-management staff not paid according to the NAGE Unit 6 Collective Bargaining Agreement salary schedule who were previously provided with a 1% COLI retroactive to July 2025 approved by the Commission in December 2025;
- To provide those same non-management staff with an additional 2% COLI retroactive to January 1, 2026;
- To provide all non-management staff eligible for longevity increases in FY 2026 with those increases (in percentages to be determined by the Executive Director in his discretion and in consultation with the CFO) retroactive to, or effective as of, the anniversary dates of their employment in their current positions; and
- To, provide managers (other than the Executive Director) with an up-to-2% COLI retroactive to July 1, 2025, and a second up-to-2% COLI retroactive to January 1, 2026, (with the percentages in each case to be determined by the Executive Director in his discretion in consultation with the CFO).
| Vote: | |
|---|---|
| Chair Botsford | Yes |
| Vice Chair Connors | Yes |
| Commissioner Hackshaw | Yes |
| Commissioner Hanley | Yes |
| Commissioner Collins | Yes |
APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Mr. Wilson stated that the Commission has four committees that have been only intermittently active in recent years: the Audit, Finance and Human Resources Committee, the Legal Committee, the Enforcement Committee, and the External Relations and Technology Committee. He explained that the committees generally align with the Commission’s divisions and noted that only the Audit, Finance and Human Resources Committee has been regularly active. Mr. Wilson said descriptions of each committee were included in the orientation materials for new Commissioners. He noted that Commissioner Hanley currently served as Chair of the Audit, Finance and Human Resources Committee and suggested that the Commission consider the usefulness of the committees and whether they should be reimagined or utilized differently. Mr. Wilson said that the Commission could begin by appointing chairs for the committees and then allow the chairs to discuss the future role and usefulness of each committee. He noted that the Audit, Finance and Human Resources Committee would soon need to review the Commission’s revised Internal Control Plan. Mr. Wilson explained that committee membership traditionally also includes the Executive Director and Commission Chair.
Commissioner Hanley asked which committees were most in need of activity. Mr. Wilson responded that the Audit, Finance and Human Resources Committee was presently the most active, followed by the Legal Committee, Enforcement Committee, and External Relations and Technology Committee. He noted that the Commission’s recent audit by the Office of State Auditor recommended updating certain Commission materials, including the Enforcement Procedures. Vice Chair Connors said that issues involving the committees had generally arisen on an ad hoc basis. He noted that recent discussion concerning a statutory amendment to the definition of “amount” in the financial disclosure law and discussions with Ms. Slattery regarding the Commission’s discovery regulations were examples of matters that could potentially be addressed through committee work. Vice Chair Connors stated that he would be willing to chair the Legal Committee. Mr. Wilson explained that the External Relations and Technology Committee aligned with the Public Education and Communications Division and that the Enforcement Committee aligns with the Enforcement Division. He stated that Division Chiefs generally provide primary assistance to the committees and involve additional staff as needed. Commissioner Hanley stated that he would be willing to chair the Enforcement Committee. Commissioner Collins stated that he would be willing to chair the External Relations and Technology Committee.
On the motion of Vice Chair Connors, seconded by Chair Botsford, the Commission voted 5-0 to appoint Vice Chair Connors to serve as Chair of the Legal Committee, Commissioner Hanley to serve as Chair of the Enforcement Committee, and Commissioner Collins to serve as Chair of the External Relations and Technology Committee.
| Vote: | |
|---|---|
| Chair Botsford | Yes |
| Vice Chair Connors | Yes |
| Commissioner Hackshaw | Yes |
| Commissioner Hanley | Yes |
| Commissioner Collins | Yes |
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION MATTERS
Public Education and Communications Division Chief Don Siriani presented his memorandum reporting on the Public Education and Communications Division’s activities during March 2026.
Mr. Siriani reported that March marked the reactivation of the Division’s in-house conflict of interest law seminars, which had previously been held every other month at the Commission’s office. He stated that registrations for the first in-house seminar exceeded the attendance capacity within a few hours of announcement and that the Division made accommodations to allow all interested individuals to attend. Mr. Siriani noted that the attendees represented more than 150 agencies and municipalities from across the Commonwealth. He further reported that, because of continued demand, the Division held an additional seminar the previous day and planned to move to a monthly schedule for in-house seminars rather than the prior every-other-month format. Mr. Siriani stated that the in-house seminars also generated additional requests from agencies and municipalities for both in-person and virtual presentations for their employees. He noted his regular highlighting of the Legal Division’s Attorney of the Day during seminars and said the Division would continue monitoring whether increased outreach results in greater use of that resource.
Mr. Siriani reported that the Division revised the automated reminder messages sent through the Commission’s online learning platform concerning the conflict of interest law education requirements. He explained that the changes included clearer descriptions of what was due, revised date formatting, and the addition of a direct link to the Frequently Asked Questions page on the Commission’s website. At Mr. Siriani’s request, Senior Program Coordinator Arthur Xia provided an overview of the Frequently Asked Questions resource for the online learning platform. Mr. Xia explained that, following the launch of the Commission’s online training platform in 2023, the Division experienced a significant increase in help desk inquiries regarding issues such as password resets, automated reminders, course completion tracking, technical troubleshooting, and users working for multiple public agencies. He stated that the Division had developed and continued to expand a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions and troubleshooting guide on the Commission’s website to help users resolve common issues independently without requiring staff assistance. Mr. Xia explained that the Division also worked to improve visibility of the resource by linking to the Frequently Asked Questions page more prominently on the online training platform and by including a direct link in the automated reminder messages sent through the system. He reported that the Frequently Asked Questions page received nearly 4,200 page views during March, making it the second most visited page on the Commission’s website after the homepage. Mr. Xia said that the Division was encouraged by the increased use of the resource and would continue updating the page as additional questions and issues arise. Mr. Siriani reported that help desk requests during March appeared to be at their lowest level in recent years. He noted that, while one month does not establish a trend, the Division was encouraged by the decrease.
Mr. Wilson reported that Mr. Xia had been selected to serve as a moderator at the upcoming Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) Conference in Denver. He stated that the Commission expected to send approximately six delegates to the conference in 2026, compared to three delegates the prior year, and said he was pleased to see continued staff involvement in COGEL activities. Mr. Wilson noted that Public Education and Communications Division Deputy Chief Gerry Tuoti and Enforcement Staff Counsel Candies Pruitt had previously participated in similar roles and congratulated Mr. Xia on his selection. Chair Botsford asked whether Ms. Pruitt would also be participating in an upcoming COGEL program. Ms. Pruitt responded that she would co-moderate a COGEL Connect online panel discussion on May 13, 2026 with a University of Minnesota employee.
LEGAL DIVISION MATTERS
General Counsel/Legal Division Chief Eve Slattery reported on the activities of the Legal Division in March 2026.
Legal Division Metrics for March 2026
Ms. Slattery presented the following Legal Division metrics for March 2026. She reported that the Legal Division metrics for written advice had approximately doubled from the previous month. Ms. Slattery explained that the increase may be attributable to the ease of use of the Commission’s new online portal that went live in early March. She noted that requests for advice were previously submitted through a PDF process that was often cumbersome and required follow-up troubleshooting by IT Specialist Tony Webb. Ms. Slattery said that some potential requestors likely abandoned that process before completing a submission. She explained that requests for advice submitted through the new portal transmitted directly to the Legal Division and said it remained to be seen whether the trend of increase in volume would continue. Ms. Slattery noted that the Legal Division has also received an increased number of election-related questions due to the ongoing election season.
Ms. Slattery reported that Senior Assistant General Counsel T. Michael McDonald and Senior Assistant Enforcement Counsel Jenny Wojewoda conducted a conflict of interest law presentation to the Boston Bar Association concerning advising and representing clients under the conflict of interest law, including how to seek prospective advice, what to expect during investigations and enforcement actions, and common conflict of interest issues. She further reported that Legal Division Deputy Chief/SFI Lauren Duca conducted a conflict of interest law presentation to newly appointed judges regarding application of the conflict of interest law to judges. Ms. Slattery commended Mr. Xia for his assistance in preparing PowerPoint presentations for those presentations and thanked Mr. McDonald, Ms. Wojewoda, and Ms. Duca for their work.
- Written advice. The Legal Division answered by letter or e-mail 104 written requests for advisory opinions under G.L. c. 268A and c. 268B. Of these requests, 7 pertained to SFIs.
| For comparison: | |
|---|---|
| March 2025 (same month prior year) (total/SFI): | 37/3 |
| February 2026 (previous month) (total/SFI): | 49/7 |
- Oral advice. The Legal Division attorneys provided advice by telephone in response to 464 requests for advice from state, county, and municipal officials. Of these requests, 20 pertained to SFIs.
| For comparison: | |
|---|---|
| March 2025 (same month prior year) (total/SFI): | 389/7 |
| February 2026 (previous month) (total/SFI): | 356/20 |
- Review of municipal letters. Division staff reviewed 1 letter issued by city solicitors/town counsel pursuant to G.L. c. 268A, § 22 and 930 CMR 1.03.
| For comparison: | |
|---|---|
| March 2025 (same month prior year): | 1 |
| February 2026 (previous month): | 0 |
- Backlog. As of April 17, 2026, the Division had no pending requests for written advice that were more than 30 days old. As of that date, there were a total of 14 pending requests for written advice.
Adjudicatory Matters
Ms. Slattery presented the April/May calendar of conferences/hearings in pending Commission adjudicatory proceedings.
In the Matter of Carlo DeMaria, Docket No. 26-0005 (Order to Show Cause issued April 29, 2026): Commissioner Hanley was assigned as the presiding officer. Staff Counsel Amy Bressler Nee will serve as legal advisor.
SFI Report
Ms. Duca stated that the SFI filing deadline for appointed public employees was May 1, 2026. She reported that, as of that morning, 365 public employees had not yet submitted their SFIs, including herself and IT Specialist Tony Webb, which she explained was intentional so they could continue testing the user experience from the filer perspective as needed. Ms. Duca further reported that the SFI Team handled a total of 128 inquiries for SFI assistance in March.
Ms. Duca provided an update on the project to replace the Commission’s existing SFI e-filing system. She stated that the SFI Team and the Commission’s consultant continued to meet twice weekly with the vendor, ReFrame, for GAP sessions to review the vendor’s existing system and identify changes necessary to satisfy the Commission’s requirements for the replacement system. Ms. Duca reported that the Commission would receive its first system demonstration on May 6, 2026, for work completed during Sprints 1 and 2, and that the project remained on schedule for a June 30, 2026 completion date.
Ms. Duca reported that the Strategic Sourcing Team finalized the master services agreement and Task Order 1 with ReFrame. She explained that the Team was also finalizing Task Order 2, addressing hosting, licensing, and maintenance costs for the replacement system. Ms. Duca noted that the Commission discussed its financial constraints with the vendor and that ReFrame had been responsive in adjusting the maintenance cost structure. She explained that, instead of a pre-determined larger monthly maintenance cost, the Commission would purchase a specified number of support hours each year at an agreed upon price that could be carried over if unused, which would reduce overall costs. Commissioner Hanley and Chair Botsford commended the SFI Team’s work on the project.
ENFORCEMENT DIVISION MATTERS
Ms. Brookman presented the Enforcement Case Metrics and the Enforcement Intake and Informal Investigations Metrics for March 2026.
Ms. Brookman said new Assistant Enforcement Counsel Cameron MacKay, who also serves as a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy Reserve, has significant experience and that the Division looks forward to her joining the Commission on May 11, 2026.
Ms. Brookman stated that the new online portal had resulted in a significant increase of complaints filed and reported that the Division received 199 complaints in March, approximately double the usual number. She noted that the Commission also continued to receive many complaints by mail, which must still be manually entered into the system. Ms. Brookman said that the increase in complaints may be partly attributable to election season. She explained that some complaints involve issues unrelated to the conflict of interest law and appear to contain inaccurate analysis generated through artificial intelligence tools. She stated that it may be helpful to provide additional guidance or resources to assist filers. Ms. Brookman noted that although some complaints lack substantive allegations, others still involve clear potential violations of the conflict of interest law. Vice Chair Connors noted that there appeared to be an increase in the number of cases emerging from the increased number of complaints. Ms. Brookman responded that she had not identified a specific trend involving particular types of violations but stated that increased education regarding the conflict of interest law often results in an increase in complaints. Chair Botsford asked whether most complaints involve municipal employees or state employees. Ms. Brookman responded that approximately 90% of complaints involve municipal employees. She explained that residents in municipalities are often more familiar with local activities and that municipal employees also tend to have greater day-to-day familiarity with the conflict of interest law and complaint process.
Ms. Brookman thanked Senior Assistant Enforcement Counsel Jenny Wojewoda and Staff Counsel Candies Pruitt for their efforts to expand the Commission’s educational outreach through organizations including the Boston Bar Association and the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
At 10:42 a.m., on the motion of Commissioner Hanley, seconded by Chair Botsford, the Commission voted 5-0 to enter executive session to discuss matters subject to the provisions of G.L. c. 30A, § 21, subparagraph (a)(7), and § 18, and G.L. c. 268B, §§ 3 and 4, including investigatory matters, preliminary inquiries, summons authorization requests, and adjudicatory matters.
| Vote: | |
|---|---|
| Chair Botsford | Yes |
| Vice Chair Connors | Yes |
| Commissioner Hackshaw | Yes |
| Commissioner Hanley | Yes |
| Commissioner Collins | Yes |
Chair Botsford stated that the Commission would not reconvene in public session following the executive session.
LIST OF DOCUMENTS USED AT THIS MEETING
- Agenda for the Commission Meeting of April 30, 2026
- Minutes of the Commission Meeting of March 26, 2026, Public Session
- State Ethics Commission Committees Terms of Reference
- Memorandum, dated April 23, 2026, from Public Education and Communications Division Chief Donald Siriani to the Commission concerning Public Education and Communications Division activities in March 2026
- Memorandum, dated April 17, 2026, from General Counsel/Legal Division Chief Eve Slattery to the Commission setting forth Legal Division matters for the meeting
- Calendar of hearing dates and pre-hearing conferences in pending Commission adjudicatory matters
- Enforcement Case Metrics
- Enforcement Intake and Informal Investigations Metrics
Respectfully submitted,
Arthur Xia
Senior Program Coordinator