Press Release  Ethics Commission Dismisses Gloria Fox and James Jones Financial Disclosure Law Cases After Each Pay a $1,250 Civil Penalty

Fox and Jones pay $1,250 civil penalties for filing their 2016 Statements of Financial Interests late

Boston, MA — The State Ethics Commission on May 17 allowed motions to dismiss adjudicatory proceedings against former State Representative Gloria Fox and former State Police Major James Jones after each paid a $1,250 civil penalty for failing to file a 2016 Statement of Financial Interests on time.

The Commission’s Enforcement Division filed Orders to Show Cause on April 17, 2018 alleging that Fox, a former elected state official, and Jones, a former designated major policymaker, violated the Financial Disclosure Law by filing their 2016 Statements of Financial Interests several months late. The Financial Disclosure Law requires elected state and county officials, candidates for state office, and state and county employees in designated major policymaking positions to annually disclose their financial interests and private business associations by filing a Statement of Financial Interests with the Ethics Commission. When a Statement of Financial Interests is filed after it is due but before an Order to Show Cause is issued, the late filer is subject to a civil penalty of $100 to $1,250 in accordance with an established Commission schedule.

After the Enforcement Division issued the Orders to Show Cause, which initiated adjudicatory proceedings, Fox and Jones paid their $1,250 civil penalties. In allowing the motions to dismiss, the Commission formally accepted the payments from Fox and Jones and dismissed the adjudicatory proceedings.

Fox and Jones are among five late-filers to date to pay civil penalties for failing to file their 2016 Statements of Financial Interests on time.

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