HomeMy WebLinkAbout397-S Williams-Bell
In Re: Tanya Williams-Bell, : File Docket: 11-022-P
Respondent : X-ref: Order No. 397-S
: Date Decided: 1/31/12
: Date Mailed: 2/13/12
Before: Louis W. Fryman, Chair
John J. Bolger, Vice Chair
Donald M. McCurdy
Raquel K. Bergen
Nicholas A. Colafella
Mark Volk
This is a final adjudication of the State Ethics Commission as to the alleged
delinquency and/or deficiency of Statement(s) of Financial Interests required to be filed
pursuant to Sections 1104 and 1105 of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act
("Ethics Act"), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et seq.
The Investigative Division initiated these proceedings by filing with the State Ethics
Commission and serving upon Respondent a Petition for Civil Penalties. An Order to
Show Cause was issued to Respondent. An Answer was not filed by the Respondent, and
a hearing was deemed waived. The record is complete. The Findings in this Order are
derived from the Petition for Civil Penalties filed by the Investigative Division.
I. FINDINGS:
1. Respondent is an adult individual who resides or maintains a mailing address at
4400 Saybrook Lane, Harrisburg, PA 17110.
2. At all times relevant to these proceedings, Respondent has been a Member of the
Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund, and as such
Respondent has at all times relevant to these proceedings been a "public official"
as defined in Section 1102 of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1102.
3. Respondent as a public official is subject to the Statement of Financial Interests
filing provisions of the Ethics Act.
4. Respondent has failed to provide full financial disclosure as required by the Ethics
Act. Respondent has failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar
year 2010 with the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, which Statement of
Financial Interests was to be filed by May 1 of 2011, and Respondent has therefore
transgressed Sections 1104 and 1105 of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 1104, 1105.
5. By Notice letter dated September 2, 2011, Respondent was served with Notice in
accordance with Section 1107(5) of the Ethics Act of the specific allegations against
Respondent concerning the above transgression. Said Notice letter provided
Respondent an opportunity to avoid the institution of these civil penalty proceedings
by filing an accurate and complete Statement of Financial Interests for calendar
Williams-Bell, 11-022-P
Page 2
year 2010 within twenty (20) days of the date of the Notice letter. Respondent has
failed and refused to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2010
so as to comply with the specific requirements of the Ethics Act.
6. By Notice letter dated September 22, 2011, Respondent was served with Notice in
accordance with Section 1107(5) of the Ethics Act of the specific allegations against
Respondent concerning the above transgression. Said Notice letter provided
Respondent an opportunity to avoid the institution of these civil penalty proceedings
by filing an accurate and complete Statement of Financial Interests for calendar
year 2010 within twenty (20) days of the date of the Notice letter. Respondent has
failed and refused to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2010
so as to comply with the specific requirements of the Ethics Act.
7. Section 1109(f) of the Ethics Act provides:
§ 1109. Penalties
(f) Civil penalty.--
In addition to any other civil
remedy or criminal penalty provided for in this chapter,
the commission may, after notice has been served in
accordance with section 1107(5) (relating to powers
and duties of commission) and upon a majority vote of
its members, levy a civil penalty upon any person
subject to this chapter who fails to file a statement of
financial interests in a timely manner or who files a
deficient statement of financial interests, at a rate of not
more than $25 for each day such statement remains
delinquent or deficient. The maximum penalty payable
under this paragraph is $250.
65 Pa.C.S. § 1109(f).
8. For each violation the Commission finds, Respondent is subject to civil penalty
liability under Section 1109(f) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1109(f), at a rate of not
more than $25.00 per day for each day the Statement of Financial Interests remains
delinquent or deficient, for a maximum civil penalty of $250.00 per violation.
Because Respondent has committed one violation alleged herein, Respondent is
subject to total maximum civil penalty liability of $250.00.
9. There are no mitigating circumstances and Respondent should be assessed the
maximum civil penalty of $250.00, in that the twenty-day deadline set forth in the
said final Notice letter to Respondent has expired and Respondent has not
complied.
II. DISCUSSION:
As a Member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund,
Tanya Williams-Bell (“Williams-Bell”) was at all times relevant to these proceedings a
“public official” subject to the provisions of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act
("Ethics Act"), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et seq.
Pursuant to Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act, Williams-Bell was specifically
required to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2010with the State
Ethics Commission on or before May 1, 2011. Section 1104(a) provides:
§ 1104. Statement of financial interests required to be filed
Williams-Bell, 11-022-P
Page 3
(a) Public official or public employee.
--Each public official of the
Commonwealth shall file a statement of financial interests for the preceding
calendar year with the commission no later than May 1 of each year that he
holds such a position and of the year after he leaves such a position. Each
public employee and public official of the Commonwealth shall file a
statement of financial interests for the preceding calendar year with the
department, agency, body or bureau in which he is employed or to which he
is appointed or elected no later than May 1 of each year that he holds such a
position and of the year after he leaves such a position. Any other public
employee or public official shall file a statement of financial interests with the
governing authority of the political subdivision by which he is employed or
within which he is appointed or elected no later than May 1 of each year that
he holds such a position and of the year after he leaves such a position.
Persons who are full-time or part-time solicitors for political subdivisions are
required to file under this section.
65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a).
The complete financial disclosure which Williams-Bell as a Member of the Board of
Directors of the Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund was required to provide in the
Statement of Financial Interests form is statutorily mandated in detail at Section 1105 of
the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1105.
Section 1109(f) of the Ethics Act provides as follows:
§ 1109. Penalties
(f) Civil penalty.
-- In addition to any other civil remedy or criminal
penalty provided for in this chapter, the commission may, after notice has
been served in accordance with section 1107(5) (relating to powers and
duties of commission) and upon a majority vote of its members, levy a civil
penalty upon any person subject to this chapter who fails to file a statement
of financial interests in a timely manner or who files a deficient statement of
financial interests, at a rate of not more than $25 for each day such
statement remains delinquent or deficient. The maximum penalty payable
under this paragraph is $250.
65 Pa.C.S. § 1109(f).
An application of Section 1109(f) to this case establishes that this Commission has
the discretion to levy a maximum civil penalty against Williams-Bell for the delinquent
Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2010.
The prerequisite service of a Notice letter in accordance with Section 1107(5) was
satisfied. Williams-Bell did not remedy the failure to comply with the Ethics Act although
given more than the usual grace period following Notice in which to do so. The
Investigative Division then instituted formal proceedings against Williams-Bell by filing with
the State Ethics Commission and serving upon Williams-Bell a Petition for Civil Penalties.
The Commission Chair issued an Order to Show Cause, ordering Williams-Bell to show
cause why a civil penalty should not be levied against her. Williams-Bell did not file an
answer to the Order to Show Cause. There is nothing of record that would constitute a
defense or excuse for Williams-Bell’s failure to comply with the Ethics Act. Williams-Bell
has failed to show cause why a civil penalty should not be levied against her in this matter.
We find that Williams-Bell, as a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund, failed to comply with Section 1104(a) of the Ethics
Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a), when she failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for
Williams-Bell, 11-022-P
Page 4
calendar year 2010with the State Ethics Commission.
We hereby levy one maximum civil penalty against Williams-Bell at the rate of
Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) per day for each day her Statement of Financial Interests for
calendar year 2010 has remained delinquent. Given the number of days during which the
Statement of Financial Interests has remained delinquent, the resultant amount to be
levied against Williams-Bell is Two-Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00).
Williams-Bell shall be ordered to make payment of the above civil penalty in the
th
amount of $250.00 by no later than the thirtieth (30) day after the mailing date of this
adjudication and Order, by forwarding a check to this Commission made payable to the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, for deposit in the State Treasury.
Williams-Bell shall be ordered to file a complete and accurate Statement of
Financial Interests for calendar year 2010 with this Commission by no later than the
th
thirtieth (30) day after the mailing date of this adjudication and Order.
III. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW:
1. Tanya Williams-Bell (“Williams-Bell”), as a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund, was at all times relevant to these proceedings
a “public official” subject to the provisions of the Public Official and Employee Ethics
Act (“Ethics Act”), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et seq.
2. Williams-Bell, as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Children’s
Trust Fund, failed to comply with Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §
1104(a), when she failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year
2010with the State Ethics Commission.
3. Notice of the delinquency of Williams-Bell’s Statement of Financial Interests for
calendar year 2010was previously served upon her in accordance with Section
1107(5) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1107(5).
4. Based upon the totality of the circumstances in this case, a civil penalty in the total
amount of $250.00 is warranted.
In Re: Tanya Williams-Bell, : File Docket: 11-022-P
Respondent : Date Decided: 1/31/12
: Date Mailed: 2/13/12
ORDER NO. 397-S
1. Tanya Williams-Bell (“Williams-Bell”), as a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund, failed to comply with Section 1104(a) of the
Public Official and Employee Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a), when she failed to
file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2010with the State Ethics
Commission.
2. This Commission hereby levies one maximum civil penalty against Williams-Bell at
the rate of Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) per day for each day her Statement of
Financial Interests for calendar year 2010 has remained delinquent, for a total civil
penalty of Two-Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00). Williams-Bell is ordered to
pay said civil penalty in the total amount of $250.00 by no later than the thirtieth
th
(30) day after the mailing date of this Order, by forwarding a check to the
Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission made payable to the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, for deposit in the State Treasury.
3. Williams-Bell is ordered to file a complete and accurate Statement of Financial
Interests for calendar year 2010 with the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission by
th
no later than the thirtieth (30) day after the mailing date of this Order.
4. Failure to comply with Paragraph 2 or 3 of this Order will result in the initiation of an
appropriate enforcement action.
BY THE COMMISSION,
Louis W. Fryman, Chair