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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1112 TostiIn Re: Gary Tosti STATE ETHICS COMMISSION 308 FINANCE BUILDING HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA 17120 File Docket: X -ref: Date Decided: Date Mailed: Before: Daneen E. Reese, Chair Austin M. Lee, Vice Chair Julius Uehlein Louis W. Fryman John J. Bolger Frank M. Brown Susan Mosites Bicket 97- 068 -C2 Order No. 1112 12/15/98 12/29/98 This is a final adjudication of the State Ethics Commission. Procedurally, the Investigative Division of the State Ethics Commission conducted an investigation regarding a possible violation of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Law, Act 9 of 1989, P.L. 26, 65 P.S. §401 at ., by the above - named Respondent. At the commencement of its investigation, the Investigative Division served upon Respondent written notice of the specific allegation(s). Upon completion of its investigation, the Investigative Division issued and served upon Respondent a Findings Report identified as an "Investigative Complaint." An Answer was filed and a hearing was waived. The record is complete. A Consent Agreement was submitted by the parties to the Commission for consideration which was subsequently approved. Effective December 15, 1998, Act 9 of 1989 was repealed and replaced by Chapter 11, Act 93 of 1998, which essentially repeats Act 9 of 1989 and provides for the completion of pending matters under Act 93 of 1998. This adjudication of the State Ethics Commission is issued under Act 93 of 1998 and will be made available as a public document thirty days after the mailing date noted above. However, reconsideration may be requested. Any reconsideration request must be received at this Commission within thirty days of the mailing date and must include a detailed explanation of the reasons as to why reconsideration should be granted in conformity with 51 Pa. Code §21.29(b). A request for reconsideration will not affect the finality of this adjudication but will defer its public release pending action on the request by the Commission. The files in this case will remain confidential in accordance with Chapter 11 of Act 93 of 1998. Any person who violates confidentiality of the Ethics Act is guilty of a misdemeanor subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than one year. Confidentiality does not preclude discussing this case with an attorney at law. Tostt, 97- 068 -C2 December 24, 1998 Page 2 I. ALLEGATION: That Tosti, a public official in his capacity as Mayor of Bristol Borough, Bucks County, violated Section 4(a) of the State Ethics Law (Act 9 of 1989) when he failed to file Statements of Financial Interests with the governing authority of the political subdivision by which he is employed or within which he is appointed no later than May 1st of each year that he holds such position by failing to file Statements of Financial Interests for the 1993 and 1994 calendar years by May 1, 1994 and 1995, and when he backdated State ments of Financial Interests for the 1993 and 1994 calendar years. II. FINDINGS: 1. Gary Tosti has been the Mayor of Bristol Borough since January, 1986. 2. Tosti was a council member for Bristol Borough from January, 1982 until January, 1986. a. Tosti was appointed President of Council in 1984 and 1985. b. Tosti was appointed Vice President of Council in 1982 and 1983,. 3. Statements of Financial Interests compliance reviews were conducted in Bristol Borough on September 5, 1997,. and December 19, 1997 by the Investigative Division of the State Ethics Commission. The Statements of Financial Interests filed by Tosti for the. 1993 and 1994 calendar years listed his signature and dates. a. The Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 1993 was dated April 14, 1994. b. The Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 1994 was dated April 14, 1995. 5. Tosti filed the Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 1993 and 1994 on SEC Revised Form 1/96. a. SEC Revised Form 1/96 was not available for distribution until January, 1996. 6. Tosti filed the Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 1993 and 1994 with Bristol Borough sometime after January, 1996. a. Tosti did not file a Statement of Financial Interests for the 1993 calendar year by May 1, 1994. b. Tosti did not file a Statement of Financial Interests for the 1994 calendar year by May 1, 1995. 7. Tosti filed the Statements of Financial Interests after being contacted by Bristol Borough Secretary Marie Fields. a. Fields contacted borough officials in August 1997 following a review of the forms by a newspaper reporter which disclosed non - filers. Tosti, 97- 068 -C2 December 24, 1998 Page 3 8. A review of the forms filed by Tosti for Bristol Borough indicates on their face that they were filed timely. 9. The Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 1993 and 1994 for Tosti were not filed with Bristol Borough on the dates listed on the form. 10. Tosti picked out dates for each of the two Statements of Financial Interests he filed. 11. Tosti filed Statements of Financial Interests with Bristol Borough for the 1996 and 1997 calendar years. a. 1996 was filed on February 19, 1997. b. 1997 was filed on February 3, 1998. Ill. DISCUSSION: At all times relevant to this matter, the Respondent, Gary Tosti, hereinafter Tosti has been a public official /employee subject to the provisions of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ( "Ethics Act "), Act 9 of 1989, Pamphlet Law 26, 65 P.S. §401, sea. /Act 93 of 1998, Chapter 11. The issue is whether Tosti, as Mayor of Bristol Borough, Bucks County, violated Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act by backdating and failing to timely file Statements of Financial Interests (SFI's) for the 1993 and 1994 calendar years. Section 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. Act 93 of 1998, Chapter 11, § 1104(a). Tosti, 97- 068 -C2 December 24, 1998 Page 4 Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act requires that each public official /public employee must file a Statement of Financial Interests for the preceding calendar year, each year that he holds the position and the year after he leaves it. Having noted the issues and applicable law, we shall now summarize the relevant facts. Tosti has served as Mayor of Bristol Borough since January, 1986. The 1993 and 1994 calendar year SFI's filed by Tosti included his signature and ostensibly the dates when the forms were filed, that is, April 14, 1994 and April 14, 1995 respectively. Tosti filed the 1993 and 1994 calendar year SFI's on State Ethics Commission forms which were not available for distribution until January, 1996. The SFI's filed by Tosti for 1993 and 1994 were not filed by May 1 of the following respective years, but were in fact filed after January, 1996. Tosti filed the SFI's after being contacted by the Bristol Borough Secretary, Marie Fields. Borough officials were contacted by Fields after a review of SFI's by a reporter confirmed that the forms were not on. file. Tosti's SFI's were not filed with Bristol Borough on the dates listed on the forms. The dates listed by Tosti were chosen as filing dates. Having summarized the above relevant facts, we must now determine whether the actions of Tosti violated Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act. As noted above, Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act specifically requires that a public official file an SFI with the goveming authority of the political subdivision no later than May 1 of each year in which he /she holds such position and the year after he /she leaves such position. The record in this case conclusively establishes that the SFI's filed by Tosti were filed after the annual May 1 deadlines. Accordingly, violations of Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act occurred when Tosti failed to timely file SFI's as . required by the Ethics Act and backdated the SFI's for those years. Tosti is reminded that public office is a public trust and that as part of his duties as a public official, he is required to comply with the SFI filing requirement imposed by the Ethics Act. The parties have entered into a Consent Agreement for: Section 1104(a) violations; a payment by Tosti in the amount of $250 through this Commission to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania within 30 days of the date of issuance of this Commission. Order; and a filing of amended SFI's within 30 days of the mailing date of this Order for the 1993 and 1994 calendar years with Bristol Borough, with one copy of each forwarded to this Commission for compliance verification. The SFI's must contain accurate current filing dates, together with the appropriate financial information for the .1993 and 1994 calendar years. Upon' review, we accept the Consent Agreement and enter the Order below as per the terms agreed upon by the parties. Compliance with the foregoing will result in the closing of this case with no further action. Noncompliance will result in the institution of an order enforcement action. Lastly, as noted, the parties have filed a Stipulation of Findings and Consent Agreement which sets forth a proposed resolution of the allegations. We believe that the Consent Agreement is the proper disposition for this case based upon our review as reflected in the above analysis and the totality of the facts and circumstances. Tosti, 97- 068 -C2 December 24, 1998 Page 5 IV. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW: 1. Tosti, as Mayor of Bristol Borough, Bucks County, is a public official subject to the provisions of Act 9 of 1989/Act 93 of 1998, Chapter 11. 2. Tosti violated Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act when he back -dated and failed to timely file Statements of Financial Interests (SFI's) for calendar years 1993 and 1994. In Re: Gary Tosti ORDER NO. 1112 File Docket: 97- 068 -C2 Date Decided: 12/15/98 Date Mailed: 12/29/98 1. Gary Tosti, as Mayor of Bristol Borough, Bucks County, violated Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act when he back -dated and failed to timely file Statements of :Financial Interests (SFI's) for calendar years 1993 and 1994. 2. Tosti is directed within 30 days of the mailing date of this Order to file amended SFI's for the 1993 and 1994 calendar years with Bristol Borough, with one copy of each forwarded to this Commission for compliance verification. The SFI's must contain accurate current filing dates, together with the appropriate financial information for the 1993 and 1994 calendar years. 3. As per the Consent Agreement of the parties, Tosti is directed to make payment in the amount of $250 through this Commission to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania within 30 days of the mailing of this Order. 4. Compliance with paragraphs 2 and 3 above will result in the closing of this case with no further action; failure to comply with the above will result in the institution of an order enforcement action. BY THE COMMISSION, etioAtu/06 DANEEN E. REESE, CHAIR