Order No. 1757 (Fike)
Council Member and/or Mayor
City of Uniontown
Fayette County, PA 15401
ORDER SUMMARY:
1. Edward Fike (“Fike”) violated Section 1103(a) of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act (“Ethics Act”), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1103(a), when, in his capacity as a Council Member and/or Mayor for the City of Uniontown (“City”), Fayette County, Pennsylvania, he utilized the authority of his public position by participating in discussions and actions of City Council on or about January 8, 2018, to appoint himself as City Mayor; and to appoint his daughter to a position of employment/office with the City.
2. Per the Consent Agreement of the parties, Fike is directed to make payment in the amount of $2,446.04 payable to the City of Uniontown and forwarded to the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission by no later than the thirtieth (30th) day after the mailing date of this Order.
3. Per the Consent Agreement of the parties, Fike is directed to fulfill his agreement to pay $500.00 to the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, which represents a portion of the expenses and costs incurred by this Commission in the investigation and administrative prosecution of the instant matter, payable by certified check or money order made payable to the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission by no later than the thirtieth (30th) day after the mailing date of this Order.
4. Fike is directed to not accept any reimbursement, compensation or other payment from the City representing a full or partial reimbursement of the amount paid in settlement of this matter.
5. Compliance with paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 of this Order will result in the closing of this case with no further action by this Commission.
a. Noncompliance will result in the institution of an order enforcement action.
Order No. 1758 (Pickett)
Collection Manager/Manager of the Real Estate Division
Department of Finance
City of Pittsburgh
414 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
ORDER SUMMARY:
1. Aaron Pickett (“Pickett”), a public employee in his capacities as: (1) a Finance Administrator I for the Collections and Compliance Division of the Department of Finance of the City of Pittsburgh (“City”), Pennsylvania, from July 14, 2014, through January 24, 2016; and (2) the Collection Manager/Manager of the Real Estate Division of the Department of Finance of the City (hereinafter, “the Real Estate Manager for the City”) from January 25, 2016, to the present, violated Section 1103(a) of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act (“Ethics Act”), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1103(a), when, as the Real Estate Manager for the City, he assessed and set the sale price of real property owned/held by the City, at a time when he possessed a reasonable interest in purchasing the property for himself; and when, as the Real Estate Manager for the City, he executed a Proposal to Purchase agreement between the City and himself concerning the sale of real property.
2. A technical violation of Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a), occurred when Pickett failed to file a Statement of Financial Interests for the 2014 calendar year in association with his public position as a Finance Administrator I, and when, as the Real Estate Manager, he failed to file Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2015, 2016, and 2017.
3. No violation of Section 1104(a) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(a), occurred in relation to Pickett’s alleged failure to file a Statement of Financial Interests for the 2013 calendar year, in that he did not initiate his employment as a Finance Administrator I in the Collections and Compliance Division of the Department of Finance until July 14, 2014.
4. Per the Consent Agreement of the parties, Pickett is directed to make payment in the amount of $5,000.00 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.
5. Pickett is directed to not accept any reimbursement, compensation or other payment from the City representing a full or partial reimbursement of the amount paid in settlement of this matter.
6. Pickett is ordered to fulfill his agreement that any profit (defined as the greater of either the sale price or fair market value/appraised value at the time of sale minus the $5,000.00 settlement amount reflected herein and cost for any documented improvements) resulting from the sale of 1103 Tropical Avenue, Ward: 19 Block & Lot: 16-K-154, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, occurring within the time period of the date of execution of the parties’ Consent Agreement (May 21, 2019) and five (5) years henceforth, shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
7. To the extent he has not already done so, Pickett is ordered to file complete and accurate Statements of Financial Interests for calendar years 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 with the City, through the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, by no later than the thirtieth (30th) day after the mailing date of this Order.
8. Compliance with paragraphs 4, 5, 6, and 7 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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