The New York City Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB”) announced Wednesday, Nov. 19, two settlements with public servants who violated the conflicts of interest law’s job-seeking prohibition, which prohibits public servants from seeking employment with a firm while participating in their City capacity in a matter involving that firm.

 

In the first case, COIB officials said a senior director at NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (“DCAS”) was overseeing a contract with National Renewable Energy Laboratory (“NREL”) while she applied for, interviewed for, negotiated, and accepted employment with NREL. They said the senior director further violated the conflicts of interest law by:

• • continuing to oversee NREL’s contract during the period between when she accepted employment with NREL and when she left DCAS, thus using her City position to benefit a firm with which she was associated;
  • misusing City time to participate in a phone call with NREL about relocation benefits; and
  • misusing her City email account to send herself an email summarizing those relocation benefits.

 

They said to resolve those violations, the now-former senior director agreed to pay a $6,500 fine.

 

In the second case, COIB officials said the executive director of housing initiatives at the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (“MOCJ”) was overseeing a contract with an MOCJ vendor while she applied for and interviewed for the position of CEO at the vendor, a position she was not offered. In a three-way settlement with COIB and MOCJ, COIB officials said the executive director agreed to pay a $2,500 fine to the board.

 

COIB is an independent, non-mayoral City agency charged with interpreting, administering, and enforcing the City’s Conflicts of Interest Law, Annual Disclosure Law, Lobbyist Gift Law, Affiliated Not-for-Profits Law, and Legal Defense Trusts Law.