According to a story just out, by Associated Press reporter Adam Gorlick, the owner of Kappy’s Liquors in Springfield was in the habit of gifting license commissioners with $200 certificates in December every year between 1999 and 2003. From the article:
[Kappy’s owner Brian] Moore’s holiday gifts coincided with the commissioners’ review and approval of Kappy’s liquor license renewal. State officials say Kappy’s was never alleged to have any problems with its license while [Cheryl] Stanley, [Peter] Murphy and [Gary] Van Tassel were commissioners.
The three former commissioners never used the gift certificates themselves, according to their disposition agreements. Instead, they passed them on to charities, friends, and relatives.
Stanley said she was proud of the work she did on the all-volunteer commission, and said she and the other board members never received training from the city about ethical issues. "We just got the gift certificates in a holiday card," Stanley said. "Kappy’s never came before us with any violations, so there was no reason to think they were trying to influence us."
Moore paid a $10,000 penalty this month, the article reports, and the three former commissioners were also fined (varying amounts) by the state ethics commission. Ethics training, anyone?
Commission executive director Peter Sturges said, "When public officials receive gifts at a time when they are about to take official action involving the giver, an appearance is created that they may be influenced by the gifts. In order to dispel that appearance, public officials should return the gift or make a written disclosure of the gift before taking action."
