Middletown DEEP Worker Fined For Ethics Violations

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A Middletown man has paid a $5,000 fine for using state resources to run several private businesses while he was working with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, according to officials.

Sean Condon, who worked as an associate research analyst for DEEP, paid the penalty to the Office of State Ethics for violating two sections of the Code of Ethics, officials announced Monday. The policy prohibits a state employee from using state resources to “obtain financial gain and engaging in other employment that impairs the state employee’s independence of judgement as to his state duties,” according to a news release.

“One of the basic tenets of the State Code of Ethics is that public officials and state employees must not use their office or position for personal financial gain,” Executive Director Peter Lewandowski said in a statement. “Operating private businesses through misuse of state resources is a serious violation of the law and will be forcefully prosecuted by the Office of State Ethics.”

Following the issuance of a complaint and a preliminary investigation by the office, the Enforcement Division found probable cause that Condon violated the use-of-office provisions when he used his state-issued computer, state-provided email account, and state phone to run several private businesses, including a retail men’s hair and skin care product business and an internet marketing business, according to the news release.

The investigation found that Condon used the state resources to “operate his private businesses while on state time and while he was being compensated by the state for such time,” according to officials.

Section 1-84 (c) states in part: “No public official or state employee ... shall use his public office or position ... to obtain financial gain for himself, his spouse, child, child’s spouse, parent, brother or sister or a business with which he is associated.”

The Enforcement Division also found probable cause that Condon “violated Section 1-84 (b) by accepting outside employment that impaired his independence of judgment as to his state position,” the news release states. Condon’s operation of his private businesses from his workstation resulted in violations of DEEP work rules, which in turn resulted in a violation of Section 1-84 (b), according to the release.