2016 State Ethics Commission Press Releases

Ethics Commission press releases

• Town of Charlton Highway Superintendent Gerry Foskett Pays $7,500 Civil Penalty for Multiple Conflict of Interest Law Violations
  The Commission approved a Disposition Agreement in which Gerry Foskett, the Town of Charlton Highway Department Superintendent, admitted to violating G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, on multiple occasions, by hiring three of his brothers and his son to plow snow for the Town, and by hiring his son to build a retaining wall at the new Highway Department Barn.  Pursuant to the Agreement, Foskett paid a $7,500 civil penalty.

• Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Division Alleges that Stoughton Town Moderator Howard Hansen Violated the Conflict of Interest Law
  The Enforcement Division issued an Order to Show Cause alleging that Howard Hansen, the Town of Stoughton Town Moderator, violated the conflict of interest law by directing Town printing business to his own printing company.

• Ethics Commission Dismisses Adjudicatory Hearing After Former MassDOT-MBTA Deputy Chief of Staff Lori Nelson Pays Civil Penalty
  The Commission issued a Final Order to allow a motion to suspend proceedings, accept the Respondent’s payment of a civil penalty in the amount of $200 and dismiss the proceedings, concluding the adjudicatory hearing involving Lori Nelson, the former Deputy Chief of Staff for MassDOT-MBTA.  Nelson paid a $200 civil penalty for failing to timely file her calendar year 2014 Statement of Financial Interests. 

• Ethics Commission Finds that Agawam Police Lieutenant Edward McGovern Violated the Conflict of Interest Law
  The Commission issued a Decision and Order concluding the adjudicatory proceeding involving Agawam Police Department Lieutenant Edward McGovern by finding that McGovern violated  the conflict of interest law by giving preferential treatment to a fellow Agawam police officer suspected of driving her personal vehicle the wrong way on a state highway in Agawam while intoxicated.  Pursuant to the Decision, the Commission ordered McGovern to pay a $7,500 civil penalty.