Suffolk County Sheriff Fined Again For Conflict Of Interest Violations

BOSTON, MA — Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins has been fined a second time for violating conflict of interest laws, according to a statement from the Massachusetts Ethics Commission. Tompkins was recently penalized $12,300 for creating a state job for his niece and having his employees run personal errands for him during paid hours.

He signed a disposition agreement admitting to the violations and waived his right to a hearing, according to the statement.

Shortly after his wife’s death in October 2016, Tompkins’ adult niece moved into his home to help care for his two minor children. Tompkins used his position as sheriff to create a $45,000 per year position in the External Affairs Division for his niece, which helped her remain in Massachusetts to assist him with childcare. The arrangement also financially benefited Tompkins and his niece, according to the commission.

The position was not posted. The division’s chief had not requested the position and had not interviewed Tompkins’ niece or reviewed her resume. Tompkins’ niece routinely left work during normal business hours one or two times per week with his approval to transport one of his children until she resigned in 2018.

Tompkins also asked subordinate employees to assist him by caring for and transporting his children and by doing other personal errands for him during their paid public work hours.

"Tompkins’ requests violated the conflict of interest law’s prohibition against public employees requesting or receiving anything of substantial value that is not authorized by law and is given to them because of their official position," the statement reads. "Tompkins’ subordinates assisted him with his personal matters because of his position as Sheriff, their assistance was substantially valuable, and his request and receipt of their assistance was not authorized by law."

This is the second civil penalty Tompkins has paid for violating the conflict of interest law. Tompkins signed a disposition agreement in 2015 with the Ethics Commission and paid a $2,500 civil penalty for using his position as sheriff to request that store owners remove his election opponent’s campaign signs.

Tompkins was initially appointed sheriff by former Gov. Deval Patrick in 2013. He was elected sheriff in 2014, then re-elected in 2016 and again in 2022, according to his bio.