Ethics Board Dismisses Dean's Complaint Against Marder; Cites Lack of Evidence
The board determined there was not enough evidence to continue investigating the complaint.
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After seven months of deliberation, the Marlboro Ethics Board dismissed a complaint made by former council candidate Chris Dean against Councilwoman Randi Marder.
The complaint reached the board in late October, but Wednesday night's meeting yielded a dismissal on the grounds that there simply was not enough evidence to prove Marder's husband's business with the township was unethical.
Dean alleged that Marlboro Township's use of a Manalapan printing company is unethical because the firm, Inkwell Global, is owned by the Marder's husband. Dean supplied township records, including invoices from the company, as evidence.
The largest amount on the invoices is around $360. By law, a business is subject to a Township Council vote and public bid process if the business receives more than $17,500 from the township. Marder said the bills have never exceeded the legal limit.
The ethics complaint also called into question Mayor Jon Hornik and Councilman Frank LaRocca, however Dean was informed by the Ethics Board that if he wished to make complaints against the two, it would need to be separate from a complaint against Marder.
Hornik said the township has never had a contract with Inkwell Global, and the amount of services do not require a contract. According to Hornik, Inkwell supplies marketing tools for programs such as the Shop Marlboro initiative, at cost.
Throughout the seven-month process, Dean questioned the ability of the Ethics Board to make the decision, asking it the complaint could be moved to a state level where perceived conflicts of interested would be avoided.
"Some of you even go out to eat with the mayor," Dean said to the board at a March meeting.
Although the board received the complaint late last year, it only took jurisdiction in March of this year. Throughout those months, the board was coming up to speed on the state and township codes as well as letting their new board attorney, Kenneth Biedzynski, come up to speed. The board's volunteer attorney stepped down shortly after the board received Dean's complaint.
Because it no longer has a volunteer attorney, the board has exceeded its annual budget allotted by the township, and in May requested more funds.
At Wednesday's meeting, the board said now that it has exceeded its $2,500 limit for attorney fees, it will approach the town for a budget of $750 to $1,000 per month, as agreed upon by Biedzynski.
milton McC
4:30 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012
And just how much did this nonsense cost the town? All becasue some people can't accept their defeat.
Waitnsee
9:24 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012
If they would have let it go to the state finance board Milton as Dean requested numerous times it would have cost the town nothing, this wasn't about accepting defeat, I'm sure it will go to the state now and we shall see the outcome!
Kaitlyn Anness
4:36 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012
Milton,
I'm looking into this, I'm unsure as to when the board passed its $2,500 limit. Hopefully will have an answer next week.
John Connor
11:50 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012
You guys still don't understand government. Marlboro has an Ethics Board so any complaints MUST be heard by them first. Then and only then can it be appealed to the state. If Marlboro DID NOT have an Ethics Board then the state could have heard the case. That's it.
John Connor
11:51 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012
If I am not mistaken the appeal is paid for by Dean.
milton McC
1:22 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
Dean may spend his own money for an appeal but it is the taxpayers who have to pay for the ethics board's lawyer and Marder's attorney. Therefore, a waste of he same tax dollars by Dean and the Republicans, that they accuse the present Mayor of wasting
mariannelongobardi
2:35 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
As you seem to not understand..Mr Dean requested day ONE that this case go to the state. We long ago accepted Marlboro election results. As a taxpaying citizen of this town Mr. Dean felt compelled to bring this issue to light.
It's interesting the Ethics Board final decision comes on the heels (*day after) of a local Democrat's county
election loss. Timing is everything I guess.
As far as high lawyer fees in Marlboro-->That certainly is business as usual!
cynicinmarlboro
6:04 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
Anytime someone in a public position makes money seemingly by being in that position there is always a sense of impropriety whether that was an invoice of $360 as per Marder or a full salary as currently occurs in the FRHSD with a still-seated Howell board member who somehow got his wife a position in the district. There will always be questions. Unfortunately most, if not all, will go unanswered.
Just like there are questions as to why there is no longer a volunteer attorney and the township is now paying through the nose and exceeding costs for what seems to be a simple thing to research as this should all be in the minutes of the meetings.
Marlboro Mann
9:27 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
Yawn! Lawyers bailing out other lawyers. Politics as usual.
Kaitlyn Anness
4:37 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
Just for a little clarification--Mr. Dean did, in fact, ask for advice about going to the state level and then some meetings later requested it to be moved due to possible conflicts of interest. However, the board determined that the complaint was submitted to them and ignoring the complaint and pushing it to the state would essentially make the existence of the board null and void.
Patch will continue to stay on top of the story, including financials and any further steps which may be taken.