Tag: Ethics Commission

Ethics Panel Dismisses Complaint on School Board President

A West Virginia Ethics Commission panel has dismissed an ethics complaint filed against the state’s board of education president.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports board president Mike Green said he received a notice that the Probable Cause Review Board found no reason to continue with an investigation.

Board of education member Bill White filed the complaint last month, accusing the president of violations of open meeting laws. He says a board member handbook the board approved in October was formed outside of required open meetings. He adds that the handbook wasn’t properly filed with the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability and contains illegal language.

White says he is now considering filing a lawsuit against Green.

Green says the issue is water under the bridge.

Ex-Boone County Ambulance Director's Ethics Deal Approved

The former executive director of the Boone County Ambulance Authority will be fined $5,000 and publicly reprimanded for ethics violations.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports reports that Ethics Commission members on Thursday approved a conciliation agreement after officials say Randall Lengyel illegally obtained a $103,000 no-interest loan from the authority in order to enhance his retirement benefits.

Commissioners found that Lengyel violated the Ethics Act’s prohibition against using public office for private gain by convincing the president and vice president of the authority’s board of directors to approve the loan.

According to the agreement, Lengyel, facing a civil suit in Boone County, repaid the loan last Oct. 6.

In addition to the fine and reprimand, Lengyel is required to complete an ethics training course as part of the agreement.

Ethics Panel Sets Rules for Morrisey Phone Meetings

The state Ethics Commission has issued rules for West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s taxpayer-funded telephone town halls.

According to The Charleston Gazette-Mail, the commission ruled Thursday that Morrisey can’t use his name on pre-recorded robocalls inviting people to participate. The caller can only be identified as the attorney general’s office.

Also, the commission said Morrisey can’t conduct the town halls within two months before any election.

The attorney general’s office has entered into a $77,000 contract with Tele-Town Hall LLC of Arlington, Virginia, to conduct up to 35 telephone town halls on consumer protection issues. Each session is capable of hosting up to 20,000 participants.

Morrisey asked the commission for guidance on the telephone town halls.

DMV to Use Paid Ads on Office Video Screens

Coming soon to a West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles regional office near you — paid commercials on video screens.

The state Ethics Commission approved the commercials Thursday.

The DMV is upgrading its electronic system that directs customers to specific windows for service at the regional offices. The DMV asked the Ethics Commission for permission to let the system vendor sell 18 minutes of paid advertising per hour. The other 42 minutes would feature state-provided programming, including public service advertisements from the DMV and other state agencies.

The Charleston Gazette reports the commission determined that the state Ethics Act allows such advertising, as long as it doesn’t constitute an official agency endorsement of products or services. The names and images of elected officials in the ads would be prohibited.

Ethics Commission: Limit Web Headshots, Avoid Trinkets

To comply with a new law, the Ethics Commission is advising public officials to limit use of their photos on websites and elsewhere.

Thursday’s advisory opinion addresses a new state law banning trinkets, from mugs to matchbooks, with officials’ names or faces on them.

The opinion says an official’s agency website can include a self-photo only on the homepage and in a biographical section.

If an official helps decide what’s in educational materials using private money, only one self-photo is allowed.

The commission advised officials to stop using self-identifying printed banners and table skirts, even ones bought before the new law. Their office’s name is permitted.

The same applies to trinkets.

The opinion says officials can be in YouTube videos and similar communications, but their names shouldn’t be overemphasized.

Ethics Commission to Hear Charges Against Marmet Mayor

The West Virginia Ethics Commission has scheduled a Sept. 29 hearing on ethics charges against the mayor of Marmet.

A commission review board found probable cause that Mayor Bill Pauley used his office for private gain.

Pauley tells the Charleston Daily Mail that he didn’t do anything wrong.

A Tuesday order filed by the review board says Pauley drove people to Marmet Town Hall to vote early in the town’s 2013 general election despite knowing they either weren’t properly registered or weren’t residents of the town.

The order says Pauley also asked the town’s computer and software vendor to generate a check reimbursing him more than $8,400 for work during town bingo games. Pauley made the request without the consent of Town Council or the town recorder.

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