Press Release  Blackstone Town Clerk Tara Sullivan Pays $5,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Conflict of Interest Law

Boston, MA — Blackstone Town Clerk Tara Sullivan has paid a $5,000 civil penalty for violating the conflict of interest law by hiring her mother and sister as town election workers. Sullivan signed a Disposition Agreement in which she admitted the violations and waived her right to a hearing.

As Town Clerk, Sullivan is responsible for administering state and local elections in Blackstone, hiring election workers, assigning their duties and work hours, reviewing their timesheets, and approving their pay. Sullivan hired her mother and sister as election workers in 2020. Sullivan assigned her mother duties as an election clerk, as an election warden, and assisting with vote-by-mail processing for which she was paid more than the minimum wage paid to election workers not assigned such duties. Sullivan’s mother was paid $4,342 and Sullivan’s sister $1,044 for election work between 2020 and 2022.

By hiring her mother and sister, determining their duties and pay rates, and approving their pay, Sullivan violated the conflict of interest law’s prohibition against municipal employees participating officially in matters in which they know members of their immediate family have a financial interest.

“Elected public officials are prohibited from hiring their immediate family members for important reasons, not the least of which is that such hirings undermine the public’s trust and confidence in the fairness of their government and the integrity of their government officials,” said Executive Director David A. Wilson.

The Commission encourages public employees to contact the Commission’s Legal Division at 617-371-9500 for free advice if they have any questions regarding how the conflict of interest law may apply to them.

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