Press Statement  Former Taunton Chief of Staff Edward Correira Pays $6,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Conflict of Interest Law

Boston, MA — Former Taunton Chief of Staff Edward Correira has paid a $6,000 civil penalty for violating the conflict of interest law by, after leaving his City position, advocating on behalf of a subdivision developer and a business owner in connection with matters in which he had participated as Taunton Chief of Staff. Correira signed a Disposition Agreement in which he admitted the violations and waived his right to a hearing.

As Chief of Staff from January 2020 through August 2022, Correira reported to the Mayor and oversaw the day-to-day operations of all City departments. In April 2020, the City Planning Board approved a nine-lot subdivision with the condition that the developer connect it to the City’s public water supply and upgrade the City water main if it was undersized. The City water main was undersized, and the developer subsequently unsuccessfully sought approval to install private wells instead. 

In Spring 2022, Correira as Chief of Staff contacted the Planning Board Chair, who was also DPW Assistant Commissioner, and questioned the denial of the developer’s request to install private wells rather than to connect to the City water main. When reconsideration of the refusal was declined, Correira as Chief of Staff asked the DPW Commissioner to issue a permit allowing the developer to connect to the undersized City water main without upgrading it. On May 5, 2022, the DPW Commissioner issued the permit as Correira requested, and the developer connected the subdivision to the undersized City water main. Subsequently, the hydrants in the subdivision failed fire protection inspections due to insufficient water pressure.

Correira left his Chief of Staff position in August 2022. On March 15, 2023, the City Solicitor’s Office met with various City departments regarding the nine-lot subdivision. Correira, after attending a strategy meeting with the developer and his lawyers, attended the City meeting and advocated on behalf of the developer that the City, rather than the developer, upgrade the water main so the subdivision could be completed. To date, the water main has not been upgraded and the subdivision remains stalled.

In May 2021, the City began construction of an Administration Building at Taunton Airport with space for a restaurant. As Chief of Staff, Correira was responsible for recruiting a restaurant tenant and contacted a friend and business owner about leasing the restaurant space. Correira then advocated as Chief of Staff that the City use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as an incentive for the business owner to lease space and operate a restaurant in the building.

After leaving his Chief of Staff position, Correira contacted the City’s Chief Financial Officer in December 2022 and Spring 2023, about securing ARPA funds for the business owner to lease space in the Taunton Airport Administration Building. The CFO met with the business owner to review the business owner’s proposal for a restaurant in the airport building. Ultimately, the City rejected the business owner’s proposal, and no ARPA funds were provided.

The conflict of interest law restricts a former municipal employee from acting as agent for anyone other than the municipality in connection with any matter involving or of direct and substantial interest to the municipality in which the former employee at any time participated as a municipal employee. Correira violated this restriction by, after leaving his Chief of Staff position, acting as agent for the subdivision developer at the March 15, 2023 City meeting and advocating that the City, and not the developer, replace the undersized City water main. He also violated this restriction when he acted on behalf of the business owner by making repeated calls to the City’s CFO to advocate that the City provide ARPA funds to the business owner as an incentive to lease space for a restaurant in the airport building. Correira’s actions also violated the conflict of interest law’s restriction on former municipal employees, within one year after leaving municipal employment, appearing personally before any municipal agency on behalf of anyone other than the municipality in connection with any matter involving or of a direct and substantial interest to the municipality which had been under the former municipal employee’s official responsibility at any time during their last two years of municipal employment.

In general, these conflict of interest law restrictions seek to prevent municipal employees from making official decisions with an eye toward their personal future interests, or from profiting by their participation in particular decisions or controversies after they leave municipal service. Additionally, the law seeks to stop former municipal employees from using their past friendships and associations within government to gain an unfair advantage for themselves or others in matters involving the municipality. The conflict of interest law does not prohibit former municipal employees from using expertise acquired while employed by the municipality.

“This case is a reminder that the conflict of interest law continues to apply to public employees after they leave their public employment,” said State Ethics Commission Executive Director David A. Wilson. “Mr. Correira’s advocacy on behalf of private parties after he left his Chief of Staff position in matters in which he participated or for which he had official responsibility as Chief of Staff violated two of the restrictions that apply to former municipal employees. Such violations have consequences.”

The Commission is authorized to impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation of the conflict of interest law.

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.