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In Re: Lauren Salgado,
Respondent
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File Docket:
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Date Decided:
Date Mailed:
FACMILE: 717-787-0806
'"NEB SITE: www.ethSi§,pg_go_v
21-024-P
Order No. 697-5
6/23/21
7/1/21
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 Statement(s) 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 �jeq.
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.
I. FINDINGS:
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,
Respondent as a public employee is subject to the Statement of Financial Interests filing
provisions of 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 2019,
which Statement of Financial Interests was to be filed by May I of 2020, and Respondent
Sa�,21-024-P
Page 2
has therefore transgressed Sections 1104 and 1105 of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 1104,
1105.
5. By Notice letter dated September 29, 2020, 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 2019 within
twenty (20) days of the date of the Notice letter. Respondent has failed and refused to file
a complete Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2019 so as to comply with
the specific requirements of the Ethics Act.
6. By Notice letter dated October 29, 2020, 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 2019 within twenty (20) days of the date
of the Notice letter. Respondent has failed and refused to file a complete Statement of
Financial Interests for calendar year 2019 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).
S. 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.
SA�, 21-024-P
Page 3
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.
II. DISCUSSION:
As an Income Maintenance Caseworker for the Pennsylvania Department of Human
Services ("Department of Human Services"), Lauren Salgado ("Salgado') was at all tunes 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 seq. See, Quaglia v. State Ethics
Commission, 986 A.2d 974 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2010), amended by, 2010 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 8 (Pa.
Cmwlth. January 5, 2010), allocatur denied, 607 Pa. 708, 4 A.3d 1056 (2010).
Pursuant to Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act, Salgado was specifically required to file a
Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2019 with the Department of Human Services
on or before May 1, 2019. See, Quaglia, supra. 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 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 Salgado 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
Sam, 21-024-P
Page 4
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 Salgado for the delinquent Statement of
Financial Interests for calendar year 2019.
The prerequisite service of a Notice letter in accordance with Section 1107(5) was satisfied.
Salgado 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 Salgado by filing with the State Ethics Commission and serving upon
Salgado a Petition for Civil Penalties. The Commission Chair issued an Order to Show Cause,
ordering Salgado to show cause why a civil penalty should not be levied against her. Salgado did
not file an answer to the Order to Show Cause. There is nothing of record that would constitute a
defense or excuse for Salgado's failure to comply with the Ethics Act. Salgado has failed to show
cause why a civil penalty should not be levied against her in this matter.
We find that Salgado, as an Income Maintenance Caseworker for the Department of
Human Services, failed to comply with Section I I04(a) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § I I04(a),
when she failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2019 with the
Department of Human Services.
We hereby levy one maximum civil penalty against Salgado at the rate of Twenty -Five
Dollars ($25.00) per day for each day her Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2019
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 Salgado is Two
Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00).
Salgado shall be ordered to make payment of the above civil penalty in the amount of
$250.00 by no later than the thirtieth (30'h) 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.
Salgado shall be ordered to file a complete and accurate Statement of Financial Interests
for calendar year 2019 with the Department of Human Services by no later than the thirtieth (30"')
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:
Salgado, 21-024-P
Page 5
1. Lauren Salgado ("Salgado"), 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 provisions of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act
("Ethics Act"), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et seq.
2. Salgado, 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. §
I I04(a), when she failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2019
with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
3. Notice of the delinquency of Salgado's Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year
2019 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: Lauren Salgado, File Docket: 21-024-P
Respondent Date Decided: 6/23/21
Date Mailed: 7/l/21
ORDER NO. 697-S
Lauren Salgado ("Salgado"), 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 2019 with the Pennsylvania
Department of Human Services,
2. This Commission hereby levies one maximum civil penalty against Salgado at the rate of
Twenty -Five Dollars ($25.00) per day for each day her Statement of Financial Interests for
calendar year 2019 has remained delinquent, for a total civil penalty of Two Hundred and
Fifty Dollars ($250.00). Salgado is ordered to pay said civil penalty in the total amount of
$250.00 by no later than the thirtieth (30`h) 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.
3. Salgado is ordered to file a complete and accurate Statement of Financial Interests for
calendar year 2019 with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services by no later than
the thirtieth (301h) 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,
Pit" m4,4�
Nicholas A. Colafella, hair