Town's ethics investigation proceeds

Chris Patterson

Emmitsburg Ethics Commission Chairman Ted Brennan provided more information on an ethics investigation under way in the town, saying this week that the commission is investigating two separate complaints made about multiple people.

The two complaints are related, he said.

Brennan said meetings were planned for Tuesday and Wednesday nights to interview more people involved in the complaints.

The commission had already interviewed one complainant early in the year. Another complainant and three witnesses were planned for both nights, he said.

Ethics commissioners will meet again next Tuesday to consider the information they have and determine if they need to continue. At that time, the subjects of the investigation will be notified and given the minutes from all the meetings to review, he said. At present, the subjects of the investigation have not been told about the complaints.

The next step will be to compile a report on whether the investigation will continue or not, and he hopes to accomplish that in January, he said.

"Emmitsburg has an election this year and January is usually the start of the campaign season, so I want to get this done as early as possible in January," he said.

Members of the Ethics Commission include Scott McClendon of Emmitsburg and Stephen Kleindienst of Rockville. Brennan said town residency is not a requirement for the Ethics Commission.

The commission was reconstituted in February to review financial disclosures, required by the town code, he said.