Pawtucket Mayor Has Stalled on Sending Potential Violations to Ethics
GoLocalProv News Team and Kate Nagle
Pawtucket Mayor Has Stalled on Sending Potential Violations to Ethics
According to Grebien, the City of Pawtucket has brought in outside legal counsel to look into the relationship between Grebien and a city parks employee -- who has gotten numerous raises during his employment -- who has also been a residential tenant of Grebien's.
Grebien told GoLocal on Sunday that after having received materials -- including a letter addressed to the State Ethics Committee -- that he referred the matter to the City to handle, but has not followed up with the Ethics Commission.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"It's always better to ask permission first then beg for forgiveness later; as the saying goes," said Common Cause Rhode Island's John Marion with the nonpartisan organization whose mission is to "ensure open, ethical, accountable, and effective government processes at the state and local level by educating and mobilizing the citizens of Rhode Island." "This question seems ripe for an advisory opinion by the Ethics Commission, which is typically a process that occurs before a public official engages in the behavior in question."
Grebien on the Record
"I've had no follow-up [with the Ethics Commission]," said Grebien. "Because [this was] dumped on our lap, we said let's take care of the criminal charges first and see where it goes. It's important for me to say that that Tony [Pires] is handling this in the office, I've clearly stayed out of it."
Marion said that he believes it will ultimately be up to the state Ethics Commission to weigh in on whether there was a lack of disclosure by Grebien of a business relationship with a municipal employee who is also a tenant.
"While Mayor Grebien deserves credit for seeking a review of the situation, the state Ethics Commission is clearly the place for this to be sorted out," said Marion. "This type of relationship would likely never rise to any sort of criminal conduct."
"Now understanding it, I had no understanding of the broader term of business partnership. I think there's a slim fit, but I don't think there's any violations," said Grebien. "But I'm trying to be transparent, and the question is if what I should have done is put it on my ethics [filing]. I'm not sure if it would even be required."
Grebien said he did not know who the City brought in to look at the situation; Pires did not respond to request for comment on Sunday.
"I honestly don't know who they brought in. Tony's got some other information that led him down a different path," said Grebien of the investigation being handled by City Hall. "The first time it got laid in our lap, it was being sent to the police -- so from a criminal perspective, we still don't think it's a violation of anything criminal."
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