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STATE ETHICS COMMISSION
FINANCE BUILDING
613 NORTH STREET, ROOM 309
HARRISBURG, PA 17120-0400
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WEBSITE: www,ethics,pa.gov
In Re: Claudette McPherson, File Docket: 19-032-P
Respondent : X-ref: Order No. 657-S
Date Decided: 1 /23/20
Date Mailed: 2/12/20
Before: Nicholas A. Colafella, Chair
Mark R. Corrigan, Vice Chair
Roger 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 Statements) of Financial Interests required to
be filed pursuant to Sections 1104 and 1105 of the PPublic Official and Employee Ethics
Act ("Ethics Act"), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et sec..
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,
and a hearing was deemed waived. The record is complete. The Findings in this Order
are derived from the Petition for Civil Penalties filed by the Investigative Division.
IZ111]1►[61-15
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 Department 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 ublic employee is subject to the Statement of Financial Interests
filing provisions ofthe Ethics Act.
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 2017, which Statement of Financial Interests was to be filed by May 1 of 2018,
and Respondent has therefore transgressed Sections 1104 and 1105 of the Ethics
Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 1104, 1105.
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 by 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.
McPherson, 19-032-P
ag�Z---
6. By Notice letter dated February 15, 2019, 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
Tor 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.
7. 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. § 1109(f).
For each violation the Commission finds, Respondent is subject to civil penalty
liability under Section 1109(f) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1109(f), at a rate of
not more than $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 $250.00.
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.
IL DISCUSSION:
As an Income Maintenance Caseworker for the Pennsylvania Department of
Human Services ("Department of Human Services"), Claudette McPherson
("McPherson") was at all times relevant to these proceedings a "�ublic employee" subject
to the provisions of the Public Official and Employee Ethics ActEthics Act" , 65 Pa.�.S.
et seq. See, Qua lia v. State Ethics Commission, 98A.2d 974 (Pa. Cmwlth.
2010), amended bar, 20 0 Pa. Commw. a. Cmwlth. January 5, 2010), allocatur
denied, 607 'tea. 708, 4 A.3d 1056 (2010).
Pursuant to Section 11 Ma) of the Ethics Act, McPherson was specifically required
to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2017 with the Department of
Human Services on or before May 1, 2018. See, Quaglia, supra. Section 1104(a)
provides:
§ 1104. Statement of financial interests required to be filed
McPherson, 1 9-032-P
ag�T___
(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 osition. 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 McPherson as an Income 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 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 McPherson 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. McPherson did not remedy the failure to comply with the Ethics Act although
given more than the usual grace per.od following Notice in which to do so. The
Investigative Division then instituted formal proceedings against McPherson by filing with
the State Ethics Commission and serving upon McPherson a Petition for Civil Penalties.
The Commission Chair issued an Order to Show Cause, ordering McPherson to show
cause why a civil penalty should not be levied against her. McPherson did not file an
answer to the Order to Show Cause. There is nothing of record that would constitute a
defense or excuse for McPherson's failure to comply with the Ethics Act. McPherson has
failed to show cause why a civil penalty should not be levied against her in this matter.
We find that McPherson, 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 4W a Statement of Financial Interests for
McPherson, 1 9-032-P
ag' a 4--
calendar year 2017 with the Department of Human Services.
We hereby lev one maximum civil penalty against McPherson at the rate of
Twenty -Five Dollars (�25.00) per day for each day her Statement of Financial Interests
for calendar year 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 McPherson is Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00).
McPherson shall be ordered to make payment of the above civil penalty in the
amount of $250.00 by no later than the thirtieth (30th) day after the mailing date of this
adjudication and Order, by forwarding a check to this Commission made payable to the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, for deposit in the State Treasury.
McPherson 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 (30ffi) day after the mailing date of this adjudication and Order, with one copy
forwarded to this Commission for compliance verification purposes.
III. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW:
1. Claudette McPherson ("McPherson"), as an Income Maintenance Caseworker for
the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, was at all times relevant to
these proceedings a "public employee" subject to the pprovisions of the Public
Official and Employee Ethics Act ("Ethics Act ), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et seq.
2. McPherson, as an Income Maintenance Caseworker for the Pennsylvania
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 the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
3. Notice of the delinquency of McPherson`s Statement of Financial Interests for
calendar year 2017 was previously served uppon 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: Claudette McPherson, File Docket: 19-032-P
Respondent Date Decided: 1/23/20
Date Mailed: 2/12/20
ORDER NO. 657-S
Claudette McPherson ("McPherson"), as an Income Maintenance Caseworker for
the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, failed to comply with Section
1104(a) of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ("Ethics Act"), 65 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 against McPherson at
the rate of Twenty -Five Dollars ($25.00)) per day for each day her Statement of
Financial Interests for calendar year 2017 has remained delinquent, for a total civil
penalty of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars $250.00). McPherson is ordered to pa
said civil penalty in the total amount of $250,00 by no later than the thirtieth (30t�')
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.
McPherson 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.
4. Failure to comply with Paragraph 2 or 3 of this Order will result in the initiation of
an appropriate enforcement action.
BY THE COMMISSION,
is o !Ila, Chair