-
Former Templeton Director of Veterans Services John Caplis pays $2,500 Civil Penalty for Violating Conflict of Interest Law
The State Ethics Commission has issued a Final Order approving a Disposition Agreement in which former Templeton Director of Veterans Services John Caplis admits he violated the conflict of interest law by submitting a false claim for veterans benefits to the town to improperly reimburse his friend for a building permit fee. The Commission accepted Caplis’ payment of a $2,500 civil penalty and dismissed the adjudicatory proceeding against him. -
State Ethics Commission Issues Public Education Letter to Winchendon Planning Board Chair Guy Corbosiero
The State Ethics Commission issued a Public Education Letter today to Winchendon Planning Board Chair Guy Corbosiero after finding reasonable cause to believe Corbosiero violated the conflict of interest law by acting on behalf of a private company in connection with its application for a special permit to operate a retail marijuana facility in the town. -
Hanson Selectman Kenneth Mitchell, Sr. pays $5,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Conflict of Interest Law
Hanson Selectman Kenneth Mitchell, Sr. has paid a $5,000 civil penalty for violating the conflict of interest law by authorizing town payments to the tree service company he privately worked for, representing his private employer in a matter involving the town, and acting as a selectman to advance a proposal to remove trees on town land while knowing his private employer would likely be hired to do the work. Mitchell signed a Disposition Agreement in which he admitted to the violations and waived his right to a hearing. -
Former Hampden Selectman Vincent Villamaino pays $4,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Conflict of Interest Law
Former Hampden Selectman Vincent Villamaino violated two sections of the conflict of interest law by participating as a selectman in matters involving a country club he belonged to, had done private work for, and resided next to. Villamaino signed a Disposition Agreement in which he admitted to the violations, waived his right to a hearing, and paid a $4,000 civil penalty. -
Hardwick Planning Board Member Erik Fleming pays $5,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Conflict of Interest Law
The State Ethics Commission has issued a Final Order approving a Disposition Agreement in which Hardwick Planning Board member Erik Fleming admits to violating the conflict of interest law by participating in the Planning Board’s approval of a site plan for new construction at a private school where he serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. The Commission accepted Fleming’s payment of a $5,000 civil penalty and dismissed the adjudicatory proceeding against him. -
State Ethics Commission Issues Public Education Letter to Ludlow DPW Board Chairman Stephen Santos
The State Ethics Commission issued a Public Education Letter today to Ludlow Department of Public Works Board Chairman Stephen Santos after finding reasonable cause to believe he violated the conflict of interest law by voting to elect himself as DPW Board Chairman and by participating in disciplinary matters involving a DPW employee he believed was cooperating with an investigation of him. -
State Ethics Commission Issues Public Education Letters to Former and Current Milford Officials William Kingkade and Christopher Morin
The State Ethics Commission issued Public Education Letters today to former Milford Select Board member William Kingkade and current Milford Finance Committee member Christopher Morin. After the Commission found reasonable cause to believe Kingkade and Morin violated the conflict of interest law, each agreed to resolve the allegations with a Public Education Letter and waived his right to a hearing before the Commission. -
State Ethics Commission Finds Former State Auditor’s Office Consultant Jeffrey Fournier Violated Conflict of Interest Law
The State Ethics Commission has issued a Final Decision and Order finding that Jeffrey Fournier, formerly a consultant to the Office of the State Auditor, violated the conflict of interest law by pitching his private company’s services to two state agencies in response to the findings of an OSA audit, and by using or attempting to use his position as an OSA consultant to gain access to those agencies to make his sales pitch. -
Wellesley Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey Peterson Pays $5,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Conflict of Interest Law
Wellesley Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey Peterson has admitted to violating the conflict of interest law by altering the Fire Department’s hiring process to favor the fire chief’s son and by selecting and interviewing the son of his wife’s cousin. Peterson signed a Disposition Agreement in which he admitted the violations, paid a $5,000 civil penalty and waived his right to an adjudicatory hearing. -
State Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Division Alleges Hardwick Planning Board Member Erik Fleming Violated Conflict of Interest Law
The State Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Division issued an Order to Show Cause today alleging that Hardwick Planning Board Member Erik Fleming violated the conflict of interest law by participating as a Planning Board member in approving a site plan for new construction at a private school where he serves as a member of the Board of Trustees, despite having received advice from the Commission’s Legal Division that he was prohibited from doing so. -
State Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Division Alleges Former Templeton Director of Veterans Services John Caplis Violated Conflict of Interest Law
The State Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Division issued an Order to Show Cause today alleging former Templeton Director of Veterans Services John Caplis violated the conflict of interest law by submitting a fraudulent veterans benefits invoice to the town to improperly reimburse a personal friend. -
Wellesley Fire Chief Richard DeLorie Pays $10,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Conflict of Interest Law
Wellesley Fire Chief Richard DeLorie has admitted to violating the conflict of interest law by participating in the town’s hiring of his son as a firefighter and using his official position to alter the hiring process to favor his son. DeLorie paid a $10,000 civil penalty, signed a disposition agreement approved by the State Ethics Commission, and waived his right to contest the Commission’s findings. -
State Ethics Commission Issues Public Education Letter to Boston Police Officer James Clark
The State Ethics Commission has issued a Public Education Letter to Boston Police Officer James Clark to resolve allegations that he violated the conflict of interest law by creating a false criminal complaint application for his friend’s brother, who had falsely told his boss that he had missed a day of work due to being arrested. -
Superior Court Affirms State Ethics Commission’s Finding that Former Brookfield Selectman Stephen Comtois Violated Conflict of Interest Law
A decision issued in Suffolk Superior Court has affirmed the State Ethics Commission’s 2020 decision that former Brookfield Selectman Stephen Comtois violated the conflict of interest law in connection with a proposed donation to the town of land that he was interested in buying. -
State Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Division Alleges Aquinnah Selectman Gary Haley Violated Conflict of Interest Law
The State Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Division issued an Order to Show Cause today alleging Aquinnah Selectman Gary Haley violated the conflict of interest law by choosing himself to privately perform electrical conduit work for the town, overbilling the town by more than $4,000 for the work, and approving the town’s payment to himself. -
Former Weston Selectman Douglas Gillespie pays $8,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Conflict of Interest Law
Former Weston Selectman Douglas Gillespie has admitted to violating the conflict of interest law on multiple occasions including by repeatedly participating as a selectman in matters affecting a proposed affordable housing development on property owned by him and his brothers, directing that Board of Selectmen meeting minutes be altered to conceal his conflict of interest, and using his selectman position provide his family an advantage in negotiating a sale of the property. -
Templeton Planning Board Member Charles Carroll pays $1,500 Civil Penalty for Violating Conflict of Interest Law
The State Ethics Commission has issued a Final Order approving a Disposition Agreement in which Templeton Planning Board member Charles Carroll admits to violating the conflict of interest law by participating in Planning Board decisions related to proposals to rezone an area of town where his father owns property. -
Hubbardston Police Officer Scott Chatigny Pays $10,000 Civil Penalty for Violating the Conflict of Interest Law
Town of Hubbardston Police Officer Scott Chatigny has admitted he violated the conflict of interest law by submitting fraudulent proposals to the town to steer town construction contracts to his private business, by having a financial interest in the town contracts while employed by the town, and by using his position as a police officer to attempt to obtain a prepayment from the town on one of the contracts. -
State Ethics Commission Issues Public Education Letter to Former Falmouth Historical Commission Member Nicole Goldman
The State Ethics Commission has issued a Public Education Letter to former Falmouth Historical Commission and Community Preservation Commission member Nicole Goldman to resolve allegations that she violated the conflict of interest law by acting on behalf of a private nonprofit organization in connection with its requests for town funding and support to preserve a 1950s geodesic dome. -
AG Healey Appoints Eron Hackshaw to State Ethics Commission
Attorney General Maura Healey has named Eron L.A. Hackshaw, Esq. as a member of the State Ethics Commission to serve a five-year term.
State Ethics Commission press releases for 2021