Ethics Commission Accuses Former State Rep. Fox, Former State Police Major Violated Financial Disclosure Laws

Fox and Jones face possible $1,250 civil penalties for allegedly filing
their 2016 Statements of Financial Interests months late

Gloria Fox

State Police Major Jones

The Enforcement Division of the State Ethics Commission today filed Orders to Show Cause alleging that former state Representative Gloria Fox and former State Police Major James Jones each violated the Financial Disclosure Law by failing to file their 2016 Statements of Financial Interests on time. The orders initiate adjudicatory proceedings against them.

TWINThe Financial Disclosure Law requires elected state and county officials, candidates for state office, and state and county employees in designated major policymaking positions to annually disclose their financial interests and private business associations by filing a Statement of Financial Interests with the Ethics Commission.  If an official files his or her Statement of Financial Interests after the date it is due but before an Order to Show Cause is issued, he or she is subject to a civil penalty of $100 to $1,250 in accordance with an established Commission schedule based on the number of days late the Statement of Financial Interests is filed.

According to the order against her, after Fox missed her May 30, 2017 filing deadline, the Commission sent her a formal notice on June 6 advising her that she was delinquent in filing and would face a civil penalty if she failed to file by June 19. Fox did not file her 2016 Statement of Financial Interests until November 22, 2017, more than five months after the filing deadline.

According to the order against him, Jones was required to file a 2016 Statement of Financial Interests because he served on the State Police for more than 30 days that year in a designated major policymaker position. The Commission sent Jones a notice on May 19, 2017 advising him that he missed his May 1 filing deadline and would be subject to a civil penalty if he failed to file within 10 days of receiving the notice. Jones did not file his 2016 Statement of Financial Interests until November 6, 2017, more than six months after his filing deadline.

If the allegations are proved, Fox and Jones each face a civil penalty of $1,250 under the Commission’s civil penalty schedule. Three other late-filers have already paid civil penalties for failing to file their Statements of Financial Interests on time in 2016.

The Commission will schedule the Fox and Jones matters for hearings within 90 days.

A&M