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HomeMy WebLinkAbout649-S, PabonPHONE: 717-783-1610 TOLL FREE: 1-600-932-0936 In Re: Maria Pabon, Respondent STATE ETHICS COMMISSION FINANCE BUILDING 613 NORTH STREET, ROOM 309 HARRISBURG, PA 17120-0400 File Docket: X-ref: Date Decided: Date Mailed: FACSIMILE: 717-787-0806 WEBSITE; 19-034-P Order No. 649-S 9/26/19 10/18/19 Before: Nicholas A. Colafella, Chair Mark R. Corrigan, Vice Chair Roqer Nick Melanie DePalma Michael A. Schwartz Shelley Y. Simms This is a final adjudication of the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission as to the alleged delinquency and/or deficiency of Statement(s) of Financial Interests required to be file 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 filing with the State Ethics Commission and serving upon Respondent a Petition for Ovil"Knalties. An Order to Show Cause was issued to Respondent. An Answer was not filed by the Respondent, and a i hearing was deemed waived. The record is complete. The Findings n 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 [address redacted]. 2. At all times relevant to these proceedings, Respondent has been an Income Maintenance Caseworker with the Pennsylvania nia Tepartment of Human Services, 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 of the employee is subject to the Statement of Financial Interests filing provisions o 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 201T which Statement of Financial Interests was to be filed by May 1 of 2018, and Res ondent has therefore transgressed Sections 1104 and 1105 of the Ethics Act, 65 K.C.S, §§ 1104, 1105. 5. By Notice letter dated December 17, 2018, 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 b�filingan accurate and complete Statement of Financial Interests for calendaryear 2017 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 2017 so as to comply with the specific requirements of the Ethics Act. Pabon, 19-034-P Page By Notice letter dated February 19, 2019, Respondent was served with Notice in accordance with Section 11 07() 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 b� filing an accurate and complete Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2017 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 2017 so as to comply with the specific requirements of the Ethics Act. 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. § 1109ft For each violation the Commission finds, Respondent is subject to civil penalty liabilityunder Section 1109(f) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1109(f), at a rate of not more Ihan $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 $250.0 . 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 the Respondent has not complied. III. DISCUSSION: As an Income Maintenance Caseworker for the Pennsylvania Dpartment of Human Services ("Department of Human Services"), Maria Pabon ("Pabon 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 se . See, QUaglia v. State Ethics Commission, 986 12d 974 `2010), Pa. Cmwlth. 2010), a�ffi_enled b 2010 Pa, Commw. LEXIS 8 (Pa.__Cffiwlth. January 5 allocatur denied, 607 a508,4A.3d 1056 (2010), Pursuant to Section 1102) of the Ethics Act, Pabon was specifically required to file a Statement of Financial Interes s for calendar year 2017 with the Departmen of Human supr Services on or before May 1, 2018. See, Quaglia, . 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 Paboin, 19-034-P Page 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 Pabon as anIncome Maintenance Caseworker for the Department of Human Services 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 1 109(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 11 09(o to this case establishes that this Commission has the discretion to levy a maximum civil penalt against Pabon for the delinquent Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2017 The prerequisite service of a Notice letter in accordance with Section 1107(5) was satisfied. Pabon 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 Pabon b filing with the State Rthics ti g 13 Commission and serving upon Pabon a Petition r Civil Penalties, he Commission Chair issued an Order to Show Cause, orderin? Pabon to show cause why a civil penalty should not be levied against her. Pabon did not le an answer to the Order to Show Cause. There is nothing of record that would constitute a defense or excuse for Pabon's failure to comply with the -Ethics Act. Pabon has failed to show cause why a civil penalty should not be levied against her in this matter. We find that Pabon, as an Income Maintenance Caseworker for the Department of Human Services, 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 2017 with t, e Department of Human Services. We hereby levy one maximum civil penalty against Pabon at the rate of Twenty -Five Pabon, 19-034-P page Dollars ($25.00) per day for each day her Statement of Financial Interests forcalendaryear 2017 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 Pabon is Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00), Pabon shall be ordered to make payment of the above civil penalt� in the amount of $250.00 by no later than the thirtieth (50"T) day after the mailing date o this adjudication and Order, by forwarding a check to this Commission made payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, for deposit in the State Treasury. Pabon shall be ordered to file a complete and accurate Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2017 with the Department of Human Services by no later than the thirtieth (30th) day after the mailing date of this adjudication and Order, with one copy forwarded to this Commission for compliance verification purposes. 111. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW: 1. Maria Pabon ("Pabon"), as an Income Maintenance Caseworker for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, was at all times relevant to these proceedings a "public employee" SUb ect to the provisions of the Public Official and LMployee Ethics Act ("Ethics Act"), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et seg. 2. Pabon, as an Income Maintenance Caseworker for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, failed to comp! with Section 11 04(a) of the thics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a when she failed to fireaStatement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2017 with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. 1 Notice of the delinquency of Pabon's Statement of Financial Interests for calendar Year 2017 was 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: Maria Pabon, File Docket: 19-034-P Respondent Date Decided: 9/26/19 Date Mailed: 10/18/19 1. Maria Pabon ("Pabon"), as an Income Maintenance Caseworker for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, failed to complywith Section 1104(a) of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ("Ethics Act"), 5 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a), when she failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2017 with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. This Commission hereby levies one maximum civil penalty a inst Pabon at the rate of Twenty -Five Dollars ($25,00) per day for each day her Vatement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2017 has remained delinquent, for a total civil penalty of Two Hundred and Fifty DollarsDater Pabon is ordered to pay said civil penalty in the total amount of $250.0 by no than the thirtieth (301h) 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. Pabon is ordered to file a complete and accurate Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2017 with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services by no later than the thirtieth (30th) day after the mailing date of this Order, with one copy forwarded to the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission for compliance verification purposes. Failure to comply with Paragraph 2 or 3 of this Order will result in the initiation of an appropriate enforcement action. BY THE COMMISSION,