Four Bay State water services employees have paid fines for accepting free ski trips, Red Sox tickets, rooftop drinks at The Envoy Hotel and other gifts, according to the State Ethics Commission.
The municipal workers in Danvers, Salem, Southampton, and Sudbury have admitted to violating the state's conflict of interest law multiple times by accepting valuable gifts from a water meter manufacturer and its distributor.
The four employees — Sudbury Water District Executive Director Vincent Roy, former Salem Department of Public Services Director David Knowlton, former Danvers Department of Public Works Water and Sewer Supervisor Aaron Cilluffo, and former Southampton Water Department Superintendent Thomas Gaughan — paid civil penalties ranging from $6,000 to $18,000.
The state's conflict of interest law bans public employees from receiving anything worth $50 or more that's given to them because of their official positions. The State Ethics Commission said Roy, Knowlton, Cilluffo, and Gaughan each accepted valuable gifts from a water meter manufacturer and distributor due to their positions with municipal water districts and DPWs.
“When public employees accept gifts from vendors doing business with their agencies, they give the public cause to question the integrity of their purchasing decisions and their performance of other duties relating to vendors,” said State Ethics Commission Executive Director David Wilson.
“It is particularly important for those in leadership positions to comply with the conflict of interest law, as they set an example for the public employees they supervise,” Wilson added.
The Sudbury Water District, Salem DPS, Danvers DPW, and Southampton Water Department all use a brand of water meter throughout their service areas made by an Alabama-based manufacturer and sourced through the manufacturer's sole authorized New England distributor.
On multiple occasions, the water meter manufacturer and its distributor hosted ski trips, dinners, outings to professional sports games, and other events to which they invited employees of several municipal water districts and departments of public works, including Roy, Knowlton, Cilluffo, and Gaughan.
On the ski trips, the manufacturer and distributor paid for lodging, meals, and ski lift tickets for the municipal employees and, in some cases, the employees' guests.
Roy took part in three-day ski trips the manufacturer and distributor hosted at Sugarloaf, Maine; Stowe, Vermont; and Jay Peak, Vermont. Roy also accepted two free tickets from the president of the distributor to a Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees game at Fenway Park. He also attended an event during which the manufacturer and distributor paid for rooftop drinks and dinner at the Envoy Hotel in Boston. Roy paid an $18,000 civil penalty.
Knowlton took part in the ski trip to Sugarloaf, the ski trip to Stowe, and a three-day ski trip the manufacturer and distributor hosted at Okemo, Vermont. Knowlton also accepted Boston Red Sox tickets from the manufacturer for two games. Also, the manufacturer hosted Knowlton at a dinner in the North End followed by a Boston Celtics game. Knowlton attended the event at which the manufacturer and distributor paid for rooftop drinks and dinner at the Envoy Hotel.
Knowlton, who resigned last year at the Salem mayor's request because of the ski trips, paid a $14,000 civil penalty.
Cilluffo attended the ski trip to Sugarloaf, the ski trip to Stowe, and the ski trip to Okemo. Cilluffo also accepted a free steakhouse dinner from the manufacturer. Cilluffo paid an $8,000 civil penalty.
Gaughan and his spouse, who had season ski passes to Okemo, went on the Okemo ski trip — for which the manufacturer and distributor paid for their lodging and meals. Gaughan also attended a golf outing at which the manufacturer paid for his greens fees and meals. Gaughan paid a $6,000 civil penalty.