PUBLIC SESSION
MEETING CONVENED
Vice Chair Thomas A. Connors called the meeting to order at 9:32 a.m. Also in attendance were Chair Merita A. Hopkins, Commissioner Patrick Hanley, and Commissioner Jeffrey T. Collins. Chair Hopkins participated remotely. Commissioner Theresa Wilson did not attend.
REMOTE PARTICIPATION
Vice Chair Connors 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. Vice Chair Connors noted that all votes at the meeting would be taken by roll call.
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
On the motion of Vice Chair Connors, seconded by Commissioner Hanley, the Commission voted 4-0 to waive the reading and approve the public session minutes of the June 18, 2026 Commission meeting.
| Vote: | |
|---|---|
| Chair Hopkins | Yes |
| Vice Chair Connors | Yes |
| Commissioner Hanley | Yes |
| Commissioner Collins | Yes |
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT
Executive Director David A. Wilson presented his monthly report.
Budget
Mr. Wilson provided an update on the Commission’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget. He reported that, on July 9, 2026, Governor Healey signed the Commonwealth’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget which includes funding of $3,917,515 for the Commission. Mr. Wilson noted that the appropriation was approximately $90,000 below the Commission’s request but $167,199, or slightly more than 4 percent, above the Commission’s Fiscal Year 2026 allocation. He said that, under the circumstances, the Commission had done well. Mr. Wilson reported that the Commission spent nearly all of its Fiscal Year 2026 allocation, returning only approximately $5,000, or about one-tenth of one percent, to the General Fund. He commended Chief of Finance and Operations Benjamin Bloomenthal for his management of the Commission’s finances during Fiscal Year 2026.
Mr. Wilson stated that the Commission would next develop its Fiscal Year 2027 spending plan describing how the Commission will use its appropriation. He said that the Commission’s Budget Team would work during August to develop the plan for submission to the Executive Office for Administration and Finance. Mr. Wilson further reported that an Audit, Finance and Human Resources Committee meeting was expected to be scheduled for September 17, 2026, to discuss the Fiscal Year 2027 spending plan and the Commission’s Fiscal Year 2028 budget request.
Ongoing Projects
Mr. Wilson reported that the project to replace the Commission’s existing SFI e-filing system continued at a rapid pace and noted that Legal Division Deputy Chief/SFI Lauren Duca would provide an update on the project during her SFI report.
Mr. Wilson reported that the Legal Case Management System project, which began in 2017, was very nearly complete and that some remaining issues with the vendor who configured the system for the Commission under a contract with the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS) were expected to be resolved within the next several weeks. Mr. Wilson further reported that EOTSS’s agreement with the vendor for the maintenance and support of the legal case management system ended on June 30, 2026. He said that the Commission had issued a request for quotations for legal case management system maintenance and support services for Fiscal Year 2027, received several responses, and had selected an apparent successful bidder. Mr. Wilson stated that negotiations with the bidder on the statement of work for the bidder’s maintenance and support services were expected to be completed within the next couple of weeks and the maintenance and support services by the new vendor to begin by the end of August 2026.
Commissioners’ Event
Mr. Wilson stated that the Commission event to honor former Chair Margot Botsford and former Commissioner Eron Hackshaw was scheduled for September 24, 2026 at 12:00 p.m., and noted that all former and current Commissioners were invited to attend.
COGEL Conference
Mr. Wilson reported that the Commission’s delegation to the 2026 COGEL Conference in Denver had been finalized and that Staff Counsel Candies Pruitt, Public Education and Communications Division Chief Don Siriani, Public Education and Communications Division Deputy Chief Gerry Tuoti, Senior Program Coordinator Arthur Xia, and he had registered to attend. He noted that Mr. Xia would moderate a panel on lobbying and social media influencers and said that they looked forward to attending the conference and seeing Mr. Xia serve as a panel moderator.
Next Meeting
Mr. Wilson reminded the Commission that its next Commission meeting was scheduled for September 17, 2026 at 9:30 a.m., and an August Commission meeting was not scheduled.
INTERNAL CONTROL PLAN
Mr. Bloomenthal presented the draft revised Internal Control Plan for review by the Commission. He explained that the Commission’s Audit, Finance and Human Resources Committee reviewed the draft on July 16, 2026, and that the revisions primarily update the plan to reflect the Commission’s current systems and statutory responsibilities. Mr. Bloomenthal noted that the revisions include updated technology references, including the transition from Ethos to the Legal Case Management System and from MMARS to MOSAIC, current information technology backup practices, and updated staff titles and organizational structure. He further noted that the plan includes updated information concerning statements of financial interests and conflict of interest law education requirements and clarifies that Commissioners may not be appointed to more than one full five-year term. Mr. Bloomenthal thanked Enforcement Division Chief Monica Brookman, General Counsel/Legal Division Chief Eve Slattery, Public Education and Communications Division Chief Don Siriani, and their respective staff for their assistance with the revisions. Commissioner Hanley stated that he chaired the Committee meeting and endorsed the revised plan.
Vice Chair Connors asked about the requirement to report losses to the Office of the State Auditor. Ms. Slattery explained that the requirement was established in accordance with guidelines prepared by the Office of the Comptroller. Vice Chair Connors asked about Risk No. 2 concerning the failure to provide the subject of a complaint with a fair process, and whether pro se respondents were informed of their right to appeal a Commission decision following an adjudicatory proceeding. Ms. Slattery responded that she believed notice of the subject’s right to appeal was included in every Commission decision. Legal Division Deputy Chief/SFI Lauren Duca stated that the language was included at the end of each decision.
On the motion of Vice Chair Connors, seconded by Commissioner Collins, the Commission voted 4-0 to approve the draft revised Internal Control Plan as presented to the Commission at the meeting.
| Vote: | |
|---|---|
| Chair Hopkins | Yes |
| Vice Chair Connors | 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 June 2026.
Mr. Siriani reported that he conducted nine seminars for 338 state, county, and municipal employees in June, including an in-house seminar at the Commission’s office. He said demand for seminars remained exceptionally high and that the upcoming in-house seminar was expanded to accommodate up to 500 participants, with approximately 280 people registered. Mr. Siriani noted that he would also conduct a series of seminars for MassHousing. He further reported that the Division had launched a new online publication series, “Individually Speaking,” featuring current and former Commissioners. Mr. Siriani thanked Commissioner Hanley and former Commissioner Hackshaw for participating in the inaugural features and invited other current and former Commissioners to participate.
Mr. Siriani reported that approximately 369,000 employees from 839 agencies and municipalities were registered to use the Commission’s online learning platform and that approximately 4,000 completion certificates were issued each week during June. He stated that two issues with the online learning platform were identified as causing significant user difficulties and accounting for approximately 9 percent of help desk requests. Mr. Siriani said that the Division would meet with the vendor to address the issues and noted that resolving them would reduce the amount of staff time spent providing related assistance.
Mr. Siriani reported that he and Division Deputy Chief Tuoti responded to 52 press and non-press inquiries and that Mr. Tuoti responded to 24 public records requests. He noted that many of the inquiries concerned EF and that the related press release was among the most visited press releases on the Commission’s website.
LEGAL DIVISION MATTERS
General Counsel/Legal Division Chief Eve Slattery reported on the activities of the Legal Division in June 2026.
Legal Division Metrics for June 2026
Ms. Slattery presented the following Legal Division metrics for June 2026.
- Written advice. The Legal Division answered by letter or e-mail 77 written requests for advisory opinions under G.L. c. 268A and c. 268B. Of these requests, 13 pertained to SFIs.
| For comparison: | |
|---|---|
| June 2025 (same month prior year) (total/SFI): | 33/5 |
| May 2026 (previous month) (total/SFI): | 127/71 |
- Oral advice. The Legal Division attorneys provided advice by telephone in response to 350 requests for advice from state, county, and municipal officials. Of these requests, 19 pertained to SFIs.
| For comparison: | |
|---|---|
| June 2025 (same month prior year) (total/SFI): | 523/149 |
| May 2026 (previous month) (total/SFI): | 339/17 |
- Review of municipal letters. Division staff reviewed 0 letters issued by city solicitors/town counsel pursuant to G.L. c. 268A, § 22 and 930 CMR 1.03.
| For comparison: | |
|---|---|
| June 2025 (same month prior year): | 0 |
| May 2026 (previous month): | 1 |
- Backlog. As of July 14, 2026, the Division had no pending requests for written advice more than 30 days old. As of that date, there were a total of 17 pending requests for written advice.
Adjudicatory Matters
Ms. Slattery presented the July/August calendar of conferences/hearings in pending Commission adjudicatory proceedings. Ms. Slattery reported that an adjudicatory hearing in the matter of Gary Shepherd was scheduled for August 5, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. at the Commission’s office and would be broadcast via Zoom for public viewing.
Litigation Matters
Ms. Slattery provided an update on litigation matters. She reported that, in David Vigeant v. State Ethics Commission, Suffolk Superior Court Civil Action No. 2684CV01335, the Commission was served with a Complaint for Judicial Review Pursuant to G.L. c. 30A on May 15, 2026. She noted that next step would be for the Commission to file the Administrative Record, which was due by August 13, 2026.
SFI Report
Legal Division Deputy Chief/SFI Lauren Duca provided an update on Statements of Financial Interests (SFI) for Calendar Year 2025. Ms. Duca reported that the SFI Team completed its efforts to locate and contact former appointed public employees who had missed the May 1 filing deadline and worked with them to complete their CY 2025 SFI filings. She noted that some filers received extensions and would file once the new SFI system opens. Ms. Duca said that the SFI Team anticipated presenting its CY 2025 filing season report, including filing statistics, in September. She reported that the SFI Team handled a total of 90 inquiries for SFI assistance in June.
Ms. Duca provided an update on the project to replace the Commission’s existing SFI e-filing system. She reported that the SFI Team continued to meet regularly with ReFrame and began testing portions of the new system in May. Ms. Duca stated that ReFrame conducted its first demonstration in May and a second one during the week of June 15, followed by user acceptance testing with Commission staff and liaisons from other agencies. She said that the testing provided valuable feedback and identified additional functionality and corrections that were needed before the system could open.
Ms. Duca reported that, as a result of the testing, the SFI Team determined that the new system would not be ready by the previously planned June 30, 2026 opening date and moved the opening date to August 12, 2026. She explained that the contract for the existing system ended on June 30 and that the old system was closed on that date. Ms. Duca stated that, during the period between the closure of the old system and opening of the new system, filing deadlines have been extended as necessary and the SFI Team has been providing redacted SFIs manually to public requestors, generally within one business day. She noted that the SFI Team also provided the manual SFI form to candidates for public office including the Barnstable County Charter Commission who needed a filing receipt.
Ms. Duca reported that of the approximately 300 items of additional functionality and corrections that had been completed by ReFrame and identified for testing by the SFI Team, only five remained to be reviewed as of that morning. She stated that further changes needed that were identified through user acceptance testing are also being addressed and that the SFI Team continued to test the system’s functionality and workflows.
Ms. Duca reported that additional issues arose concerning possible accessibility requirements identified by EOTSS. She explained that, although EOTSS had been informed months earlier that the new system would be hosted by ReFrame rather than EOTSS, EOTSS recently identified additional accessibility requirements that the new system may need to meet. Ms. Duca stated that the SFI Team was awaiting those requirements in writing from EOTSS and was working with its consultant, Gartner, and ReFrame to determine the scope of the required changes. She noted that ReFrame estimated that implementing all of the additional requirements could require approximately 700 hours of work and additional regression testing, which could affect the opening date.
Commissioner Hanley asked whether the additional 700 hours would result in additional costs. Ms. Duca responded that there would be no additional charge but that the work could affect the project timeline. She explained that any required changes would need to be incorporated into the system before submission to EOTSS for review, which is expected to take approximately one week. Ms. Duca stated that testing would continue in the meantime and thanked Commission staff for participating in the process and providing additional perspectives on the new system.
ENFORCEMENT DIVISION MATTERS
Ms. Brookman presented the Enforcement Case Metrics and the Enforcement Intake and Informal Investigations Metrics for June 2026.
Ms. Brookman welcomed Assistant Enforcement Counsel Cameron MacKay to her first in-person Commission meeting. She reported that Ms. MacKay was performing well and had matters to present to the Commission in executive session.
Ms. Brookman reported that complaint volume has remained high since the opening of the new online complaint portal in March. She noted that the Enforcement Division received fewer complaints in June than in May and said she hoped the decrease would allow the Division to reduce its backlog.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
At 10:04 a.m., on the motion of Vice Chair Connors, seconded by Commissioner Hanley, the Commission voted 4-0 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 Hopkins | Yes |
| Vice Chair Connors | Yes |
| Commissioner Hanley | Yes |
| Commissioner Collins | Yes |
Vice Chair Connors 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 July 29, 2026
- Minutes of the Commission Meeting of June 18, 2026, Public Session
- Draft Revised Internal Control Plan dated July 2026
- Redlined Copy of Draft Revised Internal Control Plan dated July 2026
- Memorandum, dated July 16, 2026, from Public Education and Communications Division Chief Donald Siriani to the Commission concerning Public Education and Communications Division activities in June 2026
- Memorandum, dated July 14, 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