CHARLESTON, WV – The West Virginia Ethics Commission issued a Final Decision and Order against former Tygarts Valley Conservation Technician Daniel Elliott, which orders him to pay fines totaling $6,000 and to reimburse the Commission $4,466.49 for the cost of investigating and prosecuting his violations of the Ethics Act. The Commission issued a public reprimand against Elliott and ordered Elliott to repay Tygarts Valley Conservation District a total of $10,021.98.
The Ethics Act prohibits public officials and public employees from being a party to or having an interest in the profits or benefits of a contract which the official or employee may have direct authority to enter into, or over which he or she may have control, and prohibits public officials and public employees from using their public office for their own private gain or that of another person.
The Commission found that Elliott, by renting his private equipment to the Conservation District, had a prohibited interest in a public contract(s) over which he may have had direct authority to enter into or over which he may have had control.
The Commission found that Elliott used his public office for the improper private gain of others by using Tygarts Valley Conservation District employees and equipment to remove, transport, and sell privately owned timber and giving the proceeds from the sale of the timber to Conservation District employees on his crew as a Christmas bonus of around $100 each.
The Final Order and Decision may be viewed on the Commission’s website by clicking
here.