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HomeMy WebLinkAbout225 CognettiAnthony R. Cognetti 425 West Broad Street Hazleton, PA 18201 RE: No. 83 -118 -C Dear Mr. Cognetti: STATE ETHICS COMMISSION 308 FINANCE BUILDING HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA 17120 ORDER OF COMMISSION January 6, 1984 Order No. 225 The State Ethics Commission has reviewed the possibility that you have violated the State Ethics Act, Act 170 -1978. The nature of the alleged violation is as follows: I. Allegation: That as a public official, you failed to file a Financial Interest Statement by May 1, 1982, for calendar year 1981, as required by the State Ethics Act and regulations. A. Findings: 1. An audit of the Financial Interest Statements for calendar year 1981 required to be filed by May 1, 1982, was conducted by the State Ethics Commission. Your statement was not on file. 2. You served as a compensated member of the Workmen's Compensation Appeal Board during calendar year 1981. a. You currently serve in this office. b. The powers and duties of this Board as set forth in the laws of this Commonwealth include the power to: 1. Hear and decide cases and claims brought pursuant to the Pennsylvania Worker's Compensation Law and the Pennsylvania Occupational Disease Act, which decisions are directly appealable to the Courts of the Commonwealth; 2. Issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses or the production of documents pertinent to any hearing (77 P.S. 992) required to dispose of claims /appeals under said Acts; Anthony R. Cognetti January 6, 1984 Page 2 3. Order the appointment of an impartial physician to examine any claimant pursuant to the aforementioned Acts (77 P.S. 831); 4. Exercise all the powers and perform duties as an appellate Board independent of the Secretary of Labor and Industry and any other official of said Department. 5. To make rules and regulations necessary to the proper and judicial administration of the duties of the Board. 3. You are a public official as that term is used in the Ethics Act. 4. You had not filed a Statement of Financial Interest for calendar year 1981 according to our records, so steps were undertaken to secure same (see below). 5. A letter was addressed to you by the Executive Director of the State Ethics Commission, Edward M. Seladones. a. This letter was dated December 20, 1982. b. This letter was addressed to you at Donny Drive, Scranton, Pennsylvania 18503. c. This letter was mailed certified, return receipt requested, No. 0018405, it was returned to the Commission marked "addressee unknown." 6. Another letter was addressed to you by Edward M. Seladones, Executive Director, State Ethics Commission. a. This letter was dated May 11, 1983. b. This letter was addressed to you at 425 West Broad Street, Hazleton, Pennsylvania 18201. c. This letter was mailed certified, return receipt requested, No. 5254953. The letter was accepted by Rita M. Blasko on May 13, 1983. d. We received no response to this letter. Anthony R. Cognetti January 6, 1984 Page 3 7. We had not received the required FIS as of August, 22, 1983, although we have received the required FIS as of August 26, 1983. a. Based upon the above, we issued an Order on August 22, 1983, regarding your filing and you requested reconsideration of same, which was granted. b. In said Petition for Reconsideration, you indicated you believed you made the appropriate filing for the calendar year in question and provided us with a copy of same, but could not recall where the form had been sent and you did not intend to violate the Ethics Act. B. Discussion: Section 4. Statements of financial interests to be filed. (a) Each public employee employed by the Commonwealth shall file a statement of financial interests for the preceding calendar year with the department, agency or bureau in which he is employed 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 shall file a statement of financial interests with the governing authority of the political subdivision by which he is employed no later than May 1 of each year that he holds such a position and of the year after he leaves such a position. 65 P.S. 402. The State Ethics Commission has ruled that all "public officials" are also "public employees" and thus, subject to Section 4(a)'s requirements. See Carter, 79 -066. Also, the regulations of the State Ethics Commission, which have the force and effect of law specify that "public officials" shall file Financial Interest Statements. 51 Pa. Code 4.4(a). The Commonwealth Court has also agreed that "public officials" are subject to the filing requirements of Section 4(a) of the Ethics Act. See Kremer v. State Ethics Commission, 56 Pa. Cmwlth. 160, 424 A.2d 968 (1981). Section 4.4(a) and (b) of the State Ethics Commission regulations state: (b) Any person appointed as an official in a Commonwealth's executive, legislative, judicial branches and other state -wide offices who is not a candidate shall file his Financial Interest Statement with the Commission and a copy with the agency to which he is appointed by May 1, of the year appointed or within 15 days if appointed after May 1. 51 Pa. Code 4.3(b). Anthony R. Cognetti January 6, 1984 Page 4 (d) A former public official shall file a Statement of Financial Interest for their last year of service by May 1, of the succeeding year. This statement shall be filed at the same office they filed when they were incumbent officials. 51 Pa. Code 4.4(d). The powers and duties of this Board or Commission, as found above, indicate this body has either the authority to expend public funds or to otherwise exercise the power of the State or any political subdivision. In addition, you were compensated for your services. You are subject to the Ethics Act because of the Board's authority and the compensation provided by law. You have failed to file the Statement of Financial Interest required by the law and State Ethics Commission regulations despite being advised of this requirement. In addition, Section 4(d) of the Ethics Act states: (d) No public official shall be allowed to take the oath of office nr enter or continue upon his duties, nor shall he receive compensation from public funds, unless he has filed a statement of financial interests with the commission as required by this act. 65 P.S. 404(d). For purposes of the Act, accurate and complete Statements of Financial Interest must be available to the public served by the public official or public employee. We realize that policies to achieve these purposes must consider the possibility that an oversight or misunderstanding of the filing requirements may occur and corrections allowed. You received our letters informing you about your obligation to file a Financial Interest Statement, but you did not respond to them. You hold a responsible position with the Commonwealth and must be presumed to have an understanding of forms and administrative and legal requirements. We believe you understood your filing obligation. Section 4(d), quoted above, prohibits a public official from continuing in office and receiving compensation from public funds unless he files a Statement of Financial Interests as required by the Ethics Act. These are serious penalties and judicious application of the law requires its use only where there is substantial reason to believe that the failure to file was willful. Anthony R. Cognetti January 6, 1984 Page 5 We note we received a Statement of Financial Interests from you for calendar year 1982 and it was dated May 12, 1983. Although this Statement of Financial Interests is late, the Commission will accept it because it is now available for public inspection and copying. However, this statement does not remedy or take the place of the statement still due for calendar year 1981 which should have been filed by May 1, 1982. However, we now have reviewed this matter and reconsidered same and find there are mitigating circumstances apparent in this case. You did not intend to violate the Ethics Act and you did attempt to file the Financial Interest Statement for calendar year 1981 as you explained. These facts lead us to conclude we should not pursue this matter further. C. Conclusion: While you violated the Ethics Act and State Ethics Commission regulations by not filing a Financial Interest Statement with the State Ethics Commission as set forth above you have now filed the required Financial Interests Statement and have provided an adequate reason for failing to do so. Thus, we decline to refer this matter to the appropriate law enforcement agency for review. Our files in this case will remain confidential in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Ethics Act, 65 P.S. 408(a). However, this Order is now final and will be made available as a public document in accordance with 51 Pa. Code 2.38(a). Any person who violates the confidentiality of a Commission proceeding is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year or both, see 65 P.S. 409(e). EMS /rdp Attachment By the Commission, CZ J. Chairman