Four Massachusetts water employees have landed themselves in hot water after being fined for accepting luxuries such as free ski trips and Red Sox tickets, activities which breach state conflict of interest laws. The State Ethics Commission has come down hard on these workers from Middlesex County who admitted to taking multiple gifts from a water meter manufacturer and its distributor because of their official positions.
As reported by Boston 25 News, the quartet - which includes Sudbury Water District Executive Director Vincent Roy and three former supervisors from Salem, Danvers, and Southampton - together shelled out some serious dough, paying fines that amounted to over $46,000. The law they broke is clear in Massachusetts: no public employee should grab anything valued at $50 or more that's meant to grease the wheels of their government gig.
Roy himself was hit with the stiffest penalty, an $18,000 setback, according to Boston 25 News. It seems the Sudbury executive couldn't resist the lure of powder-packed getaways and good times, as he indulged in several free ski trips, baseball outings, and dinners paid by those with whom he did public business. Meanwhile, the State Ethics Commission Executive Director David A. Wilson minced no words, declaring, "When public employees accept gifts from vendors doing business with their agencies, they give the public cause to question the integrity of their purchasing decisions and their performance of other duties relating to vendors," as outlined in Boston 25 News.
The Boston Herald adds more juicy details to this saga, including the various retreats staged by the Alabama-based water meter manufacturer and an accompanying New England distributor. It seems these winter wonderlands were mere backdrops to the under-the-table dealings that took place. Roy, for one, seemed to have a penchant for the slopes and the rooftop bar scene, as evidenced by his acceptance of rooftop drinks and a meal at the trendy Envoy Hotel in Boston.
Others caught in the breach were no slouches in the high life department either. The Herald account reveals more about the former Salem Department of Public Services Director David Knowlton, who not only skied but also swung tickets to the Red Sox and Celtics - before resigning last year post-mayoral heat. And let's not forget Aaron Cilluffo and Thomas Gaughan, whose penance came in the form of $8,000 and $6,000 fines respectively. For the full rundown on their escapades and repercussions, as per the Herald article.
