Milford Officials Slapped Over Conflict-Of-Interest Law Violation

MILFORD, MA — Two Milford officials likely violated the state conflict of interest law in 2019 while working to open a private social club along Granite Street, the state Ethics Commission said Thursday.

The affair was detailed in two letters released by the commission Thursday. Publicizing the violations will allow former Select Board member William Kingkade and Finance Committee member Christopher Morin to avoid a harsher punishment, the commission said.

"The Commission chose to resolve the allegations against Kingkade and Morin through the issuance of the letters rather than through adjudicatory proceedings because it determined the public interest would be better served by publicly discussing the application of the conflict of interest law to their alleged actions," the agency said Thursday. "The Commission expects that the letter will provide public employees in similar circumstances with a clearer understanding of how to comply with the law."

Kingkade and Morin were part of a group of locals who in 2019 sought to open the Greater Milford Social Club. At the time, Board of Assessors member Joshua Lioce, Parks Commission member Paul Pellegrini and former Building Commissioner Matt Marcotte were also involved, but were not named in the Ethics Commission letters.

According to the Ethics Commission, during the purchase of the 28 Granite St. building for the social club, Morin discovered that a piece of the property included town-owned land. In order to obtain financing for the purchase, the lender required the social club to resolve the encroachment.

During an April 2019 Select Board meeting, Kingkade moved to declare the parcel as surplus and sell it to the social club. The Select Board unanimously approved that motion.

"Kingkade did not publicly disclose his close personal friendship with Morin, that he was a founding member of the Greater Milford Social Club with an interest in the club, or that the town land was being purchased to be part of the site of the Greater Milford Social Club," the Ethics Commission said.

Morin violated the conflict-of-interest law when he acted as an agent for the social club to acquire the town parcel, the commission said. Under state law, municipal officials can only act on behalf of their municipality in "any particular matter in which the municipality is a party or has a direct and substantial interest."

Kingkade did not run for reelection in 2021. Former town health agent Paul Mazzuchelli won his seat in the April election after running unopposed. Morin's term on the Finance Committee expires in June 2024.