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HomeMy WebLinkAbout742-S, FlemingPHONE: 7,17-M3.1610 TOLL FIREE: 1-800-932-0936 In Re: Goslyn Fleming, Respondent STME ETHICS (',OPJIMISSION FINANCE BUILDING, 613 NOR,rt-i S"T"REE"T, [ROOM 309 HARRISBURG, [,-)A 17120--0400 File Docket: Order No. Date Decided Date Mailed: 22-020-P 742-S 9/14/22 9/19/22 FAA CMILE: 717-787-0806 WEBSITE: Www.eth[cxJ2La.g-qy Before: Mark R. Corrigan, Acting Chair Shelley Y, Simms, Acting Vice Chair Roger Nick Melanie DePalma Michael A. Schwartz Rhonda Hill Wilson Paul E. Parsells This is a final adjudication of the 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 M. 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 to the Order to Show Cause was filed by Respondent, and a hearing was deemed waived. The record is complete. I. FINDINGS: A. Pleadings 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 Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania, and as such, Respondent has at all times relevant to these proceedings been a "public official" as defined in Section 1 102 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 a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020, which Statement of Financial Interests was to be filed by May 1, 2021, and Respondent Flees, 22-020-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 October 27, 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 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 2020 within twenty (20) days of the date of the Notice letter. Respondent has failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020 so as to comply with the specific requirements of the Ethics Act. 6. By Notice letter dated February 22, 2022, 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 2020 within twenty (20) days of the date of the Notice letter. Respondent has failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020 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 one violation alleged herein, Respondent is subject to total maximum civil penalty liability of $250.00. 9. The Investigative Division asserts that there are no mitigating circumstances in this case and that Respondent should be assessed the maximum civil penalty of $250.00, in that the Fleming, 22-020-P Page 3 twenty -day deadline set forth in the said final Notice letter to Respondent has expired and the Respondent has not complied. B. Other Fact Findings 10. On June 24, 2022, the Investigative Division filed with the State Ethics Commission a Petition for Civil Penalties against Respondent, alleging that Respondent failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020, which Statement of Financial Interests was to be filed by May 1 of 2021. 11. On June 29, 2022, the Chair of the State Ethics Commission issued an Order to Show Cause, ordering Respondent to show cause why a civil penalty should not be levied against him. 12. On August 1, 2022, Respondent filed an Answer to the Order to Show Cause, in which Respondent stated that: 1) he mailed the Statement of Financial Interests form but did not keep a copy to prove that it was filed; 2) he was unaware that the Statement of Financial Interests form was not received; 3) he did not respond to the additional copies of the Statement of Financial Interests form sent to him because he knew that he had mailed his submission; 4) his wife contacted an unknown individual and was advised that the 2021 information was not received and that this was the only information that was required; 5) he completed another copy of the 2021 form and submitted it via facsimile while keeping a copy for his records; and 6) he requested that the Commission remove the punitive fee associated with the confusion of his submission of his financial statement. (Answer to Order to Show Cause). 13. Neither party requested a hearing in this matter, and a hearing was deemed waived. II. DISCUSSION: As a member of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania, Goslyn Fleming ("Fleming") 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, Fleming was specifically required to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020 with the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania on or before May 1, 2021. Section I I04(a) provides: § 1104. Statement of financial interests required to be fled (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, t t in , 22-020-P Page 4 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 I 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 Fleming as a member of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania 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). Procedurally, in accordance with Section 1107(5) of the Ethics Act, the Investigative Division of the State Ethics Commission sent a Notice of Intent to Commence Civil Penalty Proceedings (Notice letter) dated October 27, 2021, to Fleming, stating that Fleming had failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020. The Notice letter provided Fleming an opportunity to avoid the institution of civil penalty proceedings by filing an accurate and complete Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020 within twenty (20) days of the date of the Notice letter. Fleming did not file a Statement of Financial Interests within such 20- day grace period. A Final Notice letter dated February 22, 2022, containing the same substantive information as the first Notice letter, and providing another 20-day grace period for filing the delinquent Statement of Financial Interests, was sent to Fleming. Once again, Fleming did not file a Statement of Financial Interests within the 20-day grace period. On June 24, 2022, the Investigative Division instituted formal proceedings against Fleming by filing with the State Ethics Commission a Petition for Civil Penalties, which was subsequently Fleming, 22-020-P Page 5 served upon Fleming. On June 29, 2022, the Commission Chair issued an Order to Show Cause, ordering Fleming to show cause why a civil penalty should not be levied against him. On August 1, 2022, Fleming filed an Answer to the Order to Show Cause, in which Fleming stated that: 1) he mailed the Statement of Financial Interests form but did not keep a copy to prove that it was filed; 2) he was unaware that the Statement of Financial Interests form was not received; 3) he did not respond to the additional copies of the Statement of Financial Interests form sent to him because he knew that he had mailed his submission; 4) his wife contacted an unknown individual and was advised that the 2021 information was not received and that this was the only information that was required; 5) he completed another copy of the 2021 form and submitted it via facsimile while keeping a copy for his records; and 6) he requested that the Commission remove the punitive fee associated with the confusion of his submission of his financial statement. Pursuant to Section 1109(f) of the Ethics Act, this Commission may levy a maximum civil penalty against Fleming for the delinquent Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020. Although we may consider mitigating factors when exercising our discretion to levy civil penalty(ies), see, State Ethics Commission Resolution No. 91-002, there is no evidence of record establishing mitigating circumstances in this case. The assertions set forth by Fleming in his Answer to the Order to Show Cause are unsupported. There is nothing of record that would constitute a defense or excuse for Fleming's failure to comply with the Ethics Act. We find that Fleming, as a member of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania, failed to comply with Section I I04(a) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § I I04(a), when he failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020 with the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania We hereby levy one maximum civil penalty against Fleming at the rate of Twenty -Five Dollars ($25.00) per day for each day his Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020 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 Fleming is Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00). Fleming shall be ordered to make payment of the above civil penalty in the amount of $250.00 by no later than the thirtieth (30"') 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. Fleming shall be ordered to file a complete and accurate Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020 with the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania no later than the thirtieth (30'h) 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: As a member of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania, Goslyn Fleming ("Fleming") was at all times relevant to these proceedings a "public Fleming, 22-020-P Page 6 official" subject to the provisions of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ("Ethics Act"), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et sec . 2. Fleming, as a member of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania, failed to comply with Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a), when he failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020 with the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania. 3. Notice of the delinquency of Fleming's Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020 was previously sewed 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 total amount of $250.00 is warranted. In Re: Goslyn Fleming, File Docket: 22-020-P Respondent Date Decided: 9/14/22 Date Mailed: 9/19/22 ORDER NO. 742-S Goslyn Fleming ("Fleming"), as a member of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania, failed to comply with Section 1104(a) of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a), when he failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020 with the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania. 2. This Commission hereby levies one maximum civil penalty against Fleming at the rate of Twenty -Five Dollars ($25.00) per day for each day his Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020 has remained delinquent, for a total civil penalty of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00). Fleming is ordered to pay said civil penalty in the total amount of $250.00 by no later than the thirtieth (30"') 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. Fleming is ordered to file a complete and accurate Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2020 with the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania 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, R. Corligan, Acting Chair