CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Ethics Commission issued “public reprimands” against two public officials as part of settlement agreements it approved on October 1, 2015.
In his agreement with the Commission, Marmet Mayor Bill L. Pauley admitted that he knowingly and intentionally used his public office for private gain in violation of the Ethics Act by using his mayoral office to attempt to register ineligible individuals to vote after the voters’ registration deadline for the 2013 Marmet municipal elections had passed.
Pauley admitted that he drove individuals who were not residents of Marmet to the Town Hall, met with them in his office and provided them with pre-completed sample ballots or lists of his preferred candidates for their use during early voting. He also admitted that he knowingly and intentionally used the prestige of his public office when he instructed Marmet poll workers to accept the ineligible voters’ votes.
In addition to issuing a public reprimand against Pauley, the Ethics Commission ordered Pauley to pay a fine of $2,000 and to participate in ethics training.
As part of the settlement with Pauley, the Ethics Commission dismissed a separate complaint which alleged that he had violated the Ethics Act by directing the town’s software provider to write a check from the town’s funds payable to him personally for hourly wages for working at the Town’s bingo games from August 2010 through May 2012.
The Ethics Commission also issued a public reprimand as part of a settlement agreement with John K. Shingler, former Town Foreman for the town of Piedmont in Mineral County. Shingler admitted that he violated the Ethics Act in 2011 by using his public position to provide false and misleading information to the Federal Emergency Management Agency regarding six trailers which town officials had purchased for personal use at government surplus rates through the City of Piedmont’s account.
Shingler was indicted in 2013 on six felony counts of embezzlement of government property and one felony count of making a false statement to authorities. He pled to one count of conversion of government property and served three months in federal prison as part of his sentencing. In his settlement with the Ethics Commission, Shingler was ordered to undergo ethics training in addition to receiving the public reprimand.
Both Conciliation Agreements may be viewed on the Ethic Commission’s website at http://www.ethics.wv.gov.