- Karen L. Nober, Executive Director
Media Contact for Ethics Commission Dismisses Case against Algird Sunskis
David Giannotti, Communications Division Chief
Boston, MA — The Ethics Commission issued a Ruling and Order of Dismissal granting a Joint Motion to Dismiss the Adjudicatory Proceeding involving Algird Sunskis (“Sunskis”). In taking this action, the Commission did not make any determination as to whether Sunskis violated the conflict of interest law, but rather dismissed the proceedings for the reason stated in the Joint Motion, i.e., that Sunskis was evaluated on June 27, 2013, and the written report of that evaluation, which has been impounded, indicates that Sunskis is “not appropriate for prosecution.”
The Commission’s Enforcement Division issued an Order to Show Cause on March 11, 2013, alleging that Sunskis, who was employed as a teacher by the Lawrence Public Schools (“LPS”) and was also the owner of Wellington Publishing Inc., violated G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, by paying kickbacks on three occasions to LPS employees to obtain LPS contracts.
The Commission previously cited former LPS employees John Laurenza and Charles Birchall for their participation in these transactions. On June 6, 2012, the Commission approved a disposition agreement in which Laurenza agreed to pay a $4,000 civil penalty and a $536 civil forfeiture to the City of Lawrence for accepting bribes from Wellington Publishing. On October 6, 2011, the Commission approved a disposition agreement in which Birchall agreed to pay a $6,000 civil penalty and a $2,449 civil forfeiture to the City of Lawrence for accepting a bribe from Wellington Publishing.
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