Former Andover Youth Services Assistant Director Glenn Wilson paid a $9,000 fine for violating state ethics laws by receiving money from a nonprofit related to his employment and because of his position as a town employee.
The state Ethics Commission said Tuesday Wilson signed an agreement, admitting to the violations and he waived his right to a hearing.
According to the Commission, in 2016, Wilson and Andover Youth Services Director William Fahey met with the president of the private nonprofit Hurston Family Foundation, who proposed the foundation would provide funding for Andover Youth Services for building maintenance, programming and staff. Subsequently, it was agreed Hurston Family Foundation would send the money to another private nonprofit, Andover Youth Foundation, which would in turn pay Andover Youth Services.
The first donation in May 2016, earmarked $3,000 for payments of $500 each to Wilson, Fahey, and four other Andover Youth Services staff. Through 2020, Hurston Family Foundation made nine additional donations via Andover Youth Foundation to Andover Youth Services, all of which included private compensation for Andover Youth Services staff.
From 2016 through 2021, Wilson received a total of 10 payments of private compensation amounting to at least $17,500.
The Ethics Commission contends Wilson’s receipt of private compensation relating to his town employment violated the conflict-of-interest law’s prohibition against municipal employees receiving compensation from anyone other than the town when the town is involved or has a direct and substantial interest.
Where Wilson was paid for or because of his public position, the state said, he also violated the law’s prohibition against public employees receiving anything of substantial value, unless authorized by law or regulation.
The state said, for each of these nine additional donations, Wilson edited Fahey’s letters to Hurston Family Foundation describing how the money would be allocated and listing specific “merit pay” payments to full-time Andover Youth Services staff identified by their names and public job titles, including himself, and submitted the letters using his town email account.
By editing the letters and emailing them through the town, the state said, Wilson violated the conflict-of-interest law by using his official position to obtain “substantially valuable unwarranted privileges.”