Former Delaware County commissioner pleads guilty to ethics laws violations
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Former Delaware County Commissioner Todd Hanks pled guilty today in Delaware County Municipal Court to Ethics Law violations. Bradford Tammaro, of the Ohio Organized Crime Investigation Commission, and Paul Nick, Executive Director of the Ohio Ethics Commission, were appointed as Special Prosecutors in the case.
"Elected officials have a special obligation to not violate the public's trust for personal gain," said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. "Our Organized Crime Investigation Commission and the Ohio Ethics Commission will continue to protect the citizens of Ohio by working together to uncover and prosecute this kind of corruption."
Hanks entered guilty pleas to three conflict of interest violations:
• Participating as a Delaware County Commissioner in discussions, deliberations, and/or votes and acting to arrange the immediate payment of a disputed financial obligation by the County to a company, in order to secure a subsequent business relationship between that company and a private business for which Hanks served as a compensated sales representative;
• Participating as a Delaware County Commissioner in discussions, deliberations and/or votes to secure a contract with a company to conduct a study and that company had agreed to utilize the services of a private company, for which Hanks served as a compensated sales representative, if the contract for the study was awarded.
• Participating as a Delaware County Commissioner in discussions, deliberations and/or votes on a contract for the construction of the Delaware County Jail, while Hanks served as a compensated sales representative for a private business that would financially benefit from the contract for the construction of the Delaware County Jail.
Hanks was fined $500 for each count and ordered to serve 50 hours of community service. The fines must be paid and community service performed within 30 days. He was also given a 30-day suspended sentence for each count and probation for one year.[[In-content Ad]]
"Elected officials have a special obligation to not violate the public's trust for personal gain," said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. "Our Organized Crime Investigation Commission and the Ohio Ethics Commission will continue to protect the citizens of Ohio by working together to uncover and prosecute this kind of corruption."
Hanks entered guilty pleas to three conflict of interest violations:
• Participating as a Delaware County Commissioner in discussions, deliberations, and/or votes and acting to arrange the immediate payment of a disputed financial obligation by the County to a company, in order to secure a subsequent business relationship between that company and a private business for which Hanks served as a compensated sales representative;
• Participating as a Delaware County Commissioner in discussions, deliberations and/or votes to secure a contract with a company to conduct a study and that company had agreed to utilize the services of a private company, for which Hanks served as a compensated sales representative, if the contract for the study was awarded.
• Participating as a Delaware County Commissioner in discussions, deliberations and/or votes on a contract for the construction of the Delaware County Jail, while Hanks served as a compensated sales representative for a private business that would financially benefit from the contract for the construction of the Delaware County Jail.
Hanks was fined $500 for each count and ordered to serve 50 hours of community service. The fines must be paid and community service performed within 30 days. He was also given a 30-day suspended sentence for each count and probation for one year.[[In-content Ad]]