Jackson Councilmen Cleared Of Ethics Charges Over Appointment
The Local Finance Board, the entity within the Department of Community Affairs which oversees the ethics of local officials, has ruled that two Jackson Township councilmen did not violate State Ethics or Campaign Finance Laws when they voted to appoint their former campaign manger a job on the Jackson Municipal Utilities Authority, according to a report on Shore News Network.
Cara Glory was the 2012 campaign manager for Councilmen Barry Calogero and Robert Nixon. On January 6, 2014 Calogero, Nixon join the rest of the Jackson governing body in unanimously voting to approve Glory’s appointment to the MUA. Unidentified Jackson residents filed ethics charges with the Local Fiance Board.
The charges were deemed frivolous by Board Chairmen Thomas Neff, according to the Shore News Network report.
“Following preliminary investigation and evaluation of the facts and circumstances relevant to the complaints and upon consideration of the foregoing provisions of Local Government Ethics Law, the Local Finance Board voted to dismiss the complaints as having no reasonable factual basis.”
The state reiterated their stance, adding, “The relationship between an elected officeholder and a campaign deputy treasurer or campaign manager is simply not one, in and of itself, which poses a conflict.”
The charges against the councilmen were dismissed and Glory’s appointment remained as-is.
The issue is of significance in Monmouth County as Democratic freeholder candidates Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo attempt to portray themselves and paragons of virtue in the campaign against Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich.
Posted: September 3rd, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Department of Community Affairs, Monmouth County, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Monmouth Democrats | Tags: Bill Bucco, Cara Glory, Department of Community Affairs, Gary Rich, Jackson, Jackson Municipal Utilities Authority, Joe Grillo, Larry Luttrell, Lawrence Luttrell, Lillian Burry, Local Finance Board, R.A.G.E., Thomas Neff | Comments Off on Jackson Councilmen Cleared Of Ethics Charges Over Appointment