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HomeMy WebLinkAbout324-S RICHARDSONIN RE: Tyrone Richardson Respondent File Docket: X -ref: Date Decided: Date Mailed: Before: Louis W. Fryman, Chair John J. Bolger, Vice Chair Donald M. McCurdy Paul M. Henry Raquel K. Bergen Nicholas A. Colafella 06 -114 -P Order No. 324 -S 3/28/07 4/11/07 This is a final adjudication of the State Ethics Commission as to the alleged delinquency and /or deficiency of Statements 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. A Stipulation of Findings and a Consent Agreement waiving an evidentiary hearing were subsequently submitted by the parties to the Commission for consideration. The Stipulation of Findings is quoted as the Findings in this Order. The Consent Agreement has been approved. This is a final Order, and it is publicly available upon issuance. Reconsideration may be requested, but a request for reconsideration will not affect the finality of this adjudication or its availability as a public document. Any reconsideration request must be received at this Commission within thirty days of the mailing date noted above 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). Richardson, 06 -114 -P Page 2 I. FINDINGS: 1. Respondent is an adult individual who resides or maintains a mailing address at 300 East Barnard Street, West Chester, PA 19380. 2. At all times relevant to these proceedings, Respondent has been a Constable or Deputy Constable and as such Respondent has at all times relevant to these proceedings been a "public official" as that term is defined in Section 1102 of the Ethics Law. 65 Pa.C.S. 1102. 3. Respondent, as a public official, is subject to the Statement of Financial Interests filing provisions of the Ethics Law. 4. Respondent has failed to provide full financial disclosure as required by the Ethics Law. Respondent has failed to file Statements of Financial Interests for calendar year(s) 2004 and 2005 with the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, which Statements of Financial Interests were to be filed by May 1 of 2005 and 2006, and Respondent has therefore transgressed Sections 1104 and 1105 of the Ethics Law, 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 1104 and 1105. 5. By Notice Letter dated April 21, 2006, Respondent was served with Notice in accordance with Section 1107(5) of the Ethics Law 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 accurate and complete Statements of Financial Interests for calendar year(s) 2004 and 2005 within twenty (20) days of the date of the Notice Letter. Respondent has failed and refused to file Statements of Financial Interests for calendar year(s) 2004 and 2005 so as to comply with the specific requirements of the Ethics Law. 6. By Notice Letter dated June 21, 2006, Respondent was served with Notice in accordance with Section 1107(5) of the Ethics Law 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 accurate and complete Statements of Financial Interests for calendar year(s) 2004 and 2005 so as to comply with the specific requirements of the Ethics Law. II. DISCUSSION: As a Constable /Deputy Constable, Tyrone Richardson ( "Richardson ") 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, Richardson was specifically required to file Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2004 and 2005 on or before May 1, 2005, and May 1, 2006, with this Commission. 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 Richardson, 06 -114 -P Page 3 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 Richardson as a Constable /Deputy Constable 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 the Respondent for each delinquent or deficient Statement of Financial Interests. The prerequisite service of a Notice letter in accordance with Section 1107(5) was satisfied. Richardson 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 Richardson by filing with this Commission and serving upon him a Petition for Civil Penalties. The Commission Chair issued an Order to Show Cause, ordering Richardson to show cause why a civil penalty should not be levied against him. The parties propose that this case be resolved by: (1) this Commission finding that Richardson failed to timely file his Statements of Financial Interests for the 2004 and 2005 calendar years in compliance with Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act; and (2) Richardson agreeing to make payment of a civil penalty in the amount of $100.00 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 is the proper disposition for this 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 take administrative notice that Richardson filed his Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2004 and 2005 with this Commission and made payment of a Richardson, 06 -114 -P Page 4 civil penalty in the amount of $100.00 in accordance with the Consent Agreement of the parties on February 20, 2007. We hereby find that Richardson, as a Constable /Deputy Constable, failed to comply with Section 1104 of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104, when he failed to timely file Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2004 and 2005. In that Richardson has made payment of a civil penalty in the amount of $100.00 with this Commission in accordance with the Consent Agreement of the parties, and has now filed Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2004 and 2005, this case is closed. III. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW: 1. As a Constable /Deputy Constable, Tyrone Richardson ( "Richardson ") was at all times relevant to these proceedings a "public official" subject to the provisions of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et seq. 2. Richardson, as a Constable /Deputy Constable, failed to comply with Section 1104 of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104, when he failed to timely file Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2004 and 2005 with the State Ethics Commission. 3. Notice of the delinquency of Richardson's Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2004 and 2005 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 amount of $100.00 is warranted. IN RE: Tyrone Richardson Respondent ORDER NO. 324 -S File Docket: 06 -114 -P Date Decided: 3/28/07 Date Mailed: 4/11/07 1 Tyrone Richardson ( "Richardson "), as a Constable /Deputy Constable, failed to comply with Section 1104 of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104, when he failed to timely file Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2004 and 2005 with the State Ethics Commission. 2. In that Richardson has paid a civil penalty in the amount of $100.00 through this Commission to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as per the Consent Agreement of the parties, and has now filed Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2004 and 2005, no further action is required in this case and this case is closed. BY THE COMMISSION, Louis W. Fryman, Chair