Order No. 1756 (Brown)
Member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
House of Representatives
Harrisburg, PA 17120
ORDER SUMMARY:
1. Based solely on the verdict of a Dauphin County jury on October 31, 2018—and without waiver of her rights under Article I, Section 9 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, and the positions asserted at trial and to be further asserted on appeal—Vanessa Lowery Brown (“Brown”) does not contest in this proceeding that a violation of Section 1105(b)(6) of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act (“Ethics Act”), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1105(b)(6), occurred when Brown, as a Member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, House of Representatives, failed to timely disclose on her Statement of Financial Interests filed for the 2011 calendar year her receipt of $4,000.00 in cash gifts from Tyron Ali, at a time when Tyron Ali was a registered lobbyist.
2. Based solely on the verdict of a Dauphin County jury on October 31, 2018—and without waiver of her rights under Article I, Section 9 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, and the positions asserted at trial and to be further asserted on appeal—Brown does not contest in this proceeding that a violation of Section 1105(b)(7) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1105(b)(7), occurred when Brown failed to disclose her receipt of transportation, lodging and hospitality in excess of $650.00 on her Statement of Financial Interests filed for the 2011 calendar year.
3. Per the Consent Agreement of the parties, Brown is directed to make payment in the amount of $4,250.00 payable as follows: (1) $250.00 representing one year of deficient Statement of Financial Interests filings, payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and forwarded to the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission by no later than the thirtieth (30th) day after the mailing date of this Order; and (2) $4,000.00 in restitution payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania—which restitution amount has been paid in full by Brown—as ordered by the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas as part of the sentence in the Dauphin County criminal proceeding docketed as: CP-22-CR-0000525-2015.
4. Per the Consent Agreement of the parties, Brown is further directed to not accept any reimbursement, compensation or other payment from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania representing a full or partial reimbursement of the amount paid in settlement of this matter.
5. To the extent she has not already done so, Brown is directed to file a complete and accurate amended Statement of Financial Interests for calendar year 2011 with the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission by no later than the thirtieth (30th) day after the mailing date of this Order.
6. Compliance with paragraphs 3, 4, and 5 of this Order will result in the closing of this case with no further action by this Commission.
a. Non-compliance will result in the institution of an order enforcement action.
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