Former mayor of Methuen, Sharon Pollard, pays ethics panel fine

[Ian David]

By Christine McConville, Globe Staff | April 27, 2007

Former Methuen mayor Sharon Pollard has paid a $4,000 fine and agreed not to fight a state Ethics Commission ruling that she violated state conflict-of-interest laws when she funneled money to a nonprofit preservation group she founded.

Three years ago, the city permitted Brooks Pharmacy to build a store on Howe Street, on the condition that Brooks pay the city $650,000 to mitigate any ensuing traffic problems.

The Ethics Commission reported that Pollard directed $200,000 of that money to the Methuen Festival of Trees, her nonprofit historic preservation group, without notifying the City Council or seeking its permission.

State conflict-of-interest laws prohibit public employees from using their positions to secure "an unwarranted privilege of substantial value not properly available to similarly situated individuals," the report states.

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http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/04/27/ex_mayor_pays_ethics_panel_fine/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+City%2FRegion+News