Boston's own Aquinnah Select Board member Gary Haley found himself on the wrong side of the law, as a Suffolk Superior Court recently upheld a decision confirming his violation of the conflict of interest law. Initially decided by the State Ethics Commission in 2022, this ruling didn't come lightly. Haley, who took on a project for the town which initially set to cost nothing, quickly turned into a $17,445 bill that he issued to the town himself.
The controversy started back in spring 2018, when Aquinnah aimed to beautify the Aquinnah Circle by burying unsightly overhead wires. After certain obstacles popped up, Haley donned his master electrician hat to lay down the underground conduits. What he failed to do, however, was to formally consult the town after deciding to begin charging for his newly expanded services. The Mass.gov news release states that not only did Haley sign off on his own paycheck, but he also breached conflict of interest laws by not disclosing this financial interest to the town officially.
"The conflict of interest law prohibits municipal employees from participating in their official capacity in matters in which they know they have a financial interest," asserts the Commission's decision, as stated in the court’s findings. This law served as the bullet train which Haley, seemingly willfully blind to the facts, decided to try to outrun by approving a payment warrant that included his hefty invoice.
Chastised for this act, Haley has been ordered to pay a $10,000 civil penalty. It's a sound reminder that even small-town politics are not immune to the sharp teeth of ethics laws. The State Ethics Commission, ever vigilant, encourages those entangled in the public service web to always reach out for guidance to ensure not to unwittingly, or indeed willfully, entangle themselves in conflicts of interest. Public employees with burning questions or concerns can still call the Commission's Legal Division at 617-371-9500 for free advice.
