CITY OF NEW YORK

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST BOARD

2 Lafayette Street, Suite 1010
New York, New York 10007
(212) 442-1400
Fax: (212) 442-1407 TDD: (212) 442-1443

February 1, 2010
Steven B. Rosenfeld
Chair/Board Member
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monica Blum
Board Member
FORMER DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO COUNCIL SPEAKER, AN
Angela Mariana Freyre INDIVIDUAL WITH SUBSTANTIAL POLICY DISCRETION WITHIN
Board Member THE MEANING OF THE CITY’S CONFLICTS OF INTEREST LAW,
FINED $2,500 FOR SOLICITING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
Andrew Irving
Board Member SPEAKER’S RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN.
Burton Lehman The New York City Conflicts of Interest Board (the “Board”)
Board Member
____________
concluded a settlement with a former Deputy Chief of Staff to the City
Council Speaker for soliciting contributions to the Speaker’s re-election
Mark Davies campaign. The Deputy Chief of Staff to the Council Speaker is an individual
Executive Director
with “substantial policy discretion” within the meaning of Chapter 68 of the
Wayne G. Hawley City Charter, the City of New York’s conflicts of interest law. Deputy
Deputy Executive Director mayors, agency heads, and other public servants with “substantial policy
& General Counsel
discretion” are prohibited by the City’s conflicts of interest law from asking
Carolyn Lisa Miller anyone to make a political contribution for any candidate for City elective
Director of Enforcement office (such as City Council) or for any elected official of the City (such as a
Julia Davis
City Council Member) who is a candidate for any elected office. (This
Special Counsel & prohibition does not apply to solicitations made by elected officials
Director of Financial themselves.)
Disclosure

Alex Kipp In or around April 2007, the former Deputy Chief of Staff made
Director of Training & between approximately six and twelve calls to union representatives to ask
Education
that they serve on the Host Committee for an event planned for labor unions
Ute O’Malley as part of the Council Speaker’s re-election campaign. Serving on the Host
Director of Committee would have required a contribution to the re-election campaign of
Administration
the Council Speaker. The former Deputy Chief of Staff acknowledged that
Derick Yu she violated the City’s conflicts of interest law, which prohibits an individual
Director of Information with substantial policy discretion, such as she was at the time, from making
Technology
such solicitations on behalf of a City elected official or on behalf of a
candidate for City elective office. The Board fined the former Deputy Chief
of Staff $2,500. A copy of the disposition is attached.

The Conflicts of Interest Board is the City’s ethics board and is

responsible for enforcing Chapter 68 of the New York City Charter, the
City’s conflicts of interest law. The Board is composed of five members,
Visit our home page at http://nyc.gov/ethics
appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. Board penalties are
civil fines. Public servants who have any questions about the City’s conflicts of interest law are
urged to contact the Board, which can be reached at (212) 442-1400.

Carolyn Lisa Miller, Director of Enforcement, handled this case for the Board.

The Board does not comment on Board dispositions, except as set forth above. For
copies of any additional public documents, email miller@coib.nyc.gov.