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In Re: Daniel Laws,
Respondent
STATE ETHICS COMMISSION
FINANCE BUILDING
File Docket:
X-ref:
Date Mailed:
FACSIMILE: 717-787-0806
WEBSITE. www.ethlcs..pa.gov
21-049-P
Order No. 715-S
12/2/21
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 seg.
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 a Member of the Parking
Authority of the City of Reading and a Member of the Downtown Improvement District
Authority of the City of Reading, and as such, Respondent has at all times relevant to these
proceedings been a "public official" as defined in Section 1102 of the Ethics Act, 65
Pa,C,S, § 1101
3. Respondent as a public official 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 Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2017,
Laws, 2 t -049-P
Page 2
2018, and 2019, which Statements of Financial Interests were to be filed by May 1 of 2018,
May 1 of 2019, and May I of 2020, respectively. Respondent has therefore transgressed
Sections 1104 and 1105 of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 1104, 1105.
5. By Notice letter dated January 11, 2021, Respondent was served with Notice in accordance
with Section 1107(5) of the Ethics Act of the specific allegations against Respondent
concerning the above transgressions. 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 years 2017, 2018, and 2019 within
twenty (20) days of the date of the Notice letter. - Respondent has failed and refused to file
complete Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2017, 2018, and 2019 so as
to comply with the specific requirements of the Ethics Act.
6. By Notice letter dated March 4, 2021, Respondent was served with Notice in accordance
with Section 1107(5) of the Ethics Act of the specific allegations against Respondent
concerning the above transgressions. 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 years 2017, 2018, and 2019 within
twenty (20) days of the date of the Notice letter. Respondent has failed and refused to file
complete Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2017, 2018, and 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).
8. 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 three violations alleged herein, Respondent is subject to total maximum civil
penalty liability of $750.00.
Laws, 21-049-P
Page 3
9. There are no mitigating circumstances and Respondent should be assessed the maximum
civil penalty of $750.00, 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 a Member of the Parking Authority of the City of Reading and as a Member of the
Downtown Improvement District Authority of the City of Reading, Daniel Laws ("Laws") was at
all times relevant totheseproceedings a "public official" subject to the provisions of the Public
Official and Employee Ethics Act ("Ethics Act"), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et M.
Pursuant to Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act, Laws was specifically required to file
Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2017, 2018, and 2019 with the City of Reading
on or before May 1, 2018, May 1, 2019, and May 1, 2020, respectively. 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 Laws as a Member of the Parking Authority of
the City of Reading and as a Member of the Downtown Improvement District Authority of the
City of Reading 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
Laws, 21-049-P
Page 4
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 Laws for each delinquent Statement of
Financial Interests for calendar years 2017, 2018, and 2019.
The prerequisite service of a Notice letter in accordance with Section 1107(5) was satisfied.
Laws 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 Laws by filing with the State Ethics Commission and serving upon Laws a
Petition for Civil Penalties. The Commission Chair issued an Order to Show Cause, ordering Laws
to show cause why civil penalties should not be levied against him. Laws did not file an answer
to the Order to Show Cause. There is nothing of record that would constitute a defense or excuse
for Laws' failure to comply with the Ethics Act. Laws has failed to show cause why civil penalties
should not be levied against him in this matter.
We find that Laws, as a Member of the Parking Authority of the City of Reading and as a
Member of the Downtown Improvement District Authority of the City of Reading, failed to
comply with Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a), when he failed to file
Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2017, 2018, and 2019 with the City of Reading.
We hereby levy three maximum civil penalties against Laws, each at the rate of Twenty -
Five Dollars ($25.00) per day, for each day his Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years
2017, 2018, and 2019 have remained delinquent. Given the number of days during which the
Statements of Financial Interests have remained delinquent, the resultant amount to be levied
against Laws is Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($750.00).
Laws shall be ordered to make payment of the above civil penalties in the total amount of
$750.00 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.
Laws shall be ordered to file complete and accurate Statements of Financial Interests for
calendar years 2017, 2018, and 2019 with the City of Reading by no later than the thirtieth (30th)
day after the mailing date of this adjudication and Order, with a copy of each such filing forwarded
to this Commission for compliance verification purposes.
III. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW:
Laws, 21-049-P
Page 5
Daniel Laws ("Laws"), as a Member of the Parking Authority of the City of Reading and
as a Member of the Downtown Improvement District Authority of the City of Reading,
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.
2. Laws, as a Member of the Parking Authority of the City of Reading and as a Member of
the Downtown Improvement District Authority of the City of Reading, failed to comply
with Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a), when he failed to file
Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2017, 2018, and 2019 with the City of
Reading.
3. Notice of the delinquency of Laws' Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years
2017, 2018, and 2019 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, the imposition of three maximum
civil penalties in the total amount of $750.00 is warranted.
In Re: Daniel Laws, File Docket: 21-049-P
Respondent Date Decided: 12/1/21
Date Mailed: 12/2/21
ORDER NO, 715-S
l . Daniel Laws ("Laws"), as a Member of the Parking Authority of the City of Reading and
as a Member of the Downtown Improvement District Authority of the City of Reading,
failed to comply with Section 1104(a) of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act
("Ethics Act"), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a), when he failed to file Statements of Financial
Interests for calendar years 2017, 2018, and 2019 with the City of Reading.
2. This Commission hereby levies three maximum civil penalties against Laws, each at the
rate of Twenty -Five Dollars ($25.00) per day, for each day his Statements of Financial
Interests for calendar years 2017, 2018 and 2019 have remained delinquent, for total civil
penalty liability of Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($750.00). Laws is ordered to pay
said civil penalties in the total amount of $750.00 by no later than the thirtieth (30th) 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.
Laws is ordered to file complete and accurate Statements of Financial Interests for calendar
years 2017, 2018, and 2019 with the City of Reading by no later than the thirtieth (30tn)
day after the mailing date of this Order, with a copy of each such filing 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,
f
Nicholas A. Colafella, Chair