HomeMy WebLinkAbout465-S GrubbsIn Re: Jared Grubbs, File Docket: 15 -050 -P
Respondent X -ref: Order No. 465 -S
Date Decided: 4/7/16
Date Mailed: 4/8/16
Before: Nicholas A. Colafella, Chair
Mark R. Corrigan, Vice Chair
Roger Nick
Kathryn Streeter Lewis
Maria Feeley
Melanie DePalma
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 seg.
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. A Stipulation of Findings and a Consent
Agreement were subsequently submitted by the parties to the Commission for
consideration. The Stipulated Findings are set forth as the Findings in this Order. The
Consent Agreement has been approved.
I. FINDINGS:
1. Respondent Jared Grubbs ( "Respondent ") is an adult individual who receives mail
at [address redacted].
2. At all times relevant to these proceedings, Respondent has been a Tax Account
Collections Technician with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, and as such,
Respondent has at all times relevant to these proceedings been a "public
employee" as defined in Section 1102 of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1102.
3. Respondent, as a public employee, is subject to the Statement of Financial
Interests filing provisions of the Ethics Act.
4. Respondent failed to timely provide full financial disclosure as required by the
Ethics Act. Respondent failed to timely file a Statement of Financial Interests for
calendar year 2014, which [Statement of Financial Interests was to be filed] by May
1, 2015. Respondent has therefore violated Sections 1104 and 1105 of the Ethics
Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 1104, 1105.
5. By Notice Letter dated August 3, 2015, 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 2014 within twenty (20) days of the date of the Notice Letter. Respondent has
failed and /or otherwise refused to timely file a Statement of Financial Interests for
Grubbs, 15 -050 -P
Page 2
calendar year 2014 so as to comply with the specific requirements of the Ethics Act.
By Notice Letter dated October 2, 2015, 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 civil penalty proceedings by
filing an accurate and complete Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year
2014 [within twenty (20) days of the date of the Notice Letter] so as to comply with
the specific requirements of the Ethics Act.
On December 9, 2015, Respondent electronically filed his calendar year 2014
Statement of Financial Interests with the State Ethics Commission.
II. DISCUSSION:
As a Tax Account Collections Technician for the Pennsylvania Department of
Revenue ( "Department of Revenue "), Jared Grubbs ( "Grubbs ") was at all times relevant to
these proceedings a "public employee" subject to the provisions of the Public Official and
Employee Ethics Act ( "Ethics Act "), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et seg.
Pursuant to Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act, Grubbs was specifically required to
file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2014 with the Department of
Revenue on or before May 1, 2015. Section 1104(a) provides:
§ 1104. Statement of financial interests required to be filed
(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 Grubbs as a Tax Account Collections
Technician for the Department of Revenue 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
Grubbs, 15 -050 -P
Page 3
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 Grubbs for the delinquent Statement
of Financial Interests for calendar year 2014.
The prerequisite service of a Notice letter in accordance with Section 1107(5) was
satisfied. Grubbs 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 Grubbs by
filing with this Commission and serving upon him a Petition for Civil Penalties. The
Commission Chair issued an Order to Show Cause, ordering Grubbs to show cause why a
civil penalty should not be levied against him. The parties then filed a Stipulation of
Findings and Consent Agreement.
The parties propose that this case be resolved by: (1) this Commission finding that
Grubbs failed to timely file his Statement of Financial Interests for the 2014 calendar year
in compliance with Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act; and (2) Grubbs making payment of a
civil penalty in the amount of $250.00 in settlement of this matter, payable to the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and forwarded to this Commission upon execution of the
Consent Agreement.
We believe that the Consent Agreement sets forth a proper disposition forthis case,
based upon our review of the totality of the facts and circumstances. Accordingly, we
approve the Consent Agreement that has been submitted by the parties.
We hereby find that Grubbs, as a Tax Account Collections Technician for the
Department of Revenue, failed to timely file his Statement of Financial Interests for the
2014 calendar year in compliance with Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §
1104(a).
We take administrative notice that Grubbs has made payment of a civil penalty in
the amount of $250.00 through this Commission to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as
per the Consent Agreement of the parties.
In that Grubbs has made payment of a civil penalty in the amount of $250.00 in
accordance with the Consent Agreement of the parties, and has now filed a Statement of
Financial Interests for calendar year 2014, no further action is required in this case and
this case is closed.
III. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW:
1. As a Tax Account Collections Technician for the Pennsylvania Department of
Revenue, Jared Grubbs ( "Grubbs ") was at all times relevant to these proceedings a
"public employee" subject to the provisions of the Public Official and Employee
Ethics Act ( "Ethics Act "), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et seg.
2. Grubbs, as a Tax Account Collections Technician for the Pennsylvania Department
of Revenue, failed to timely file his Statement of Financial Interests for the 2014
Grubbs, 15 -050 -P
Page 4
calendar year in compliance with Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §
1104(a).
3. Notice of the delinquency of Grubbs' Statement of Financial Interests for calendar
year 2014 was previously served upon him 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: Jared Grubbs,
Respondent
File Docket: 15 -050 -P
Date Decided: 4/7/16
Date Mailed: 4/8/16
ORDER NO. 465 -S
1. Jared Grubbs ( "Grubbs "), as a Tax Account Collections Technician for the
Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, failed to timely file his Statement of
Financial Interests for the 2014 calendar year in compliance with Section 1104(a) of
the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a).
2. In that Grubbs has paid a civil penalty in the amount of $250.00 through this
Commission to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as per the Consent Agreement
of the parties, and has now filed a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year
2014, no further action is required in this case and this case is closed.
BY THE COMMISSION,
Nicholas A. Colafella, Chair