Ethics Board Members Meet With Accused Prior To Hearing

Hillsborough residents filed ethics complaints with the the Hillsborough Ethical Standards Board against Committeewoman and Mayor Gloria McCauley, Township Administrator Anthony Ferrara, Township Clerk Pamela Borek and Committeeman Burchette for violating State law by using their official positions in the Township for personal gain. Over 40 signatures of concerned township residents accompanied these complaints.

In a mockery of justice, the Hillsborough Ethical Standards Board met on the McCauley/Ferrara and McCauley/Borek cases and ruled that no ethical standards had been violated. It was apparent that the 5 members of the board (Peters Cipparulo, Steven Cohen, Daniel Galati, Frederick Gladstone, and Abed Medawar) had no knowledge of the law. So an appeal has been filed by the Hillsborough residents.

The basis of the appeals of the McCauley/Ferrara and McCauley/Borek decisions is:
1.) There exists a direct conflict of interest with several members of the Hillsborough Ethical Standards Board and Committeewoman McCauley.
2.) There is no evidence in the record to support the decision of the Hillsborough Ethical Standards Board and the reasons given but the board for its decision do not follow the law, thus making the decision arbitrary, capricious and invalid.

More recently, Philip George, the Hillsborough Ethics Board attorney submitted a letter brief on their behalf to the State Local Finance Board (the government entity that will decide the appeal filed) opposing the appeal of the Ethics Board's mistaken decision. Mr. George’s letter brief was filled with untruthful factual and legal assertions, which Mr. Koch on behalf of the residents divulged in the three letter briefs submitted to the State Local Finance Board in response.

Mr. Koch also focused on how Town Administrator Ferrara, Township Clerk Borek, and the attorneys involved participated in undisclosed secret phone conferences with members of the Ethics Board, who would be judging the complaints against these town officials. Not only were the town officials trying to influence the decision of the Board members, but attorney George and Township Attorney Willard were committing ethical violations by arranging and participating in these conferences. All of the conferences were amazingly denied in Mr. George's brief despite the fact that Mr. Willard's billing records confirm these teleconferences occurred.

Read these letter briefs by clicking on the button below. You’ll be amazed how brazen the attorneys are in violating the most basic rules of judicial behavior.

Ethics Appeal Response Letter Brief 2018-05-30
Ethics Appeal Response Letter Brief 2018-06-06 Additional Unethical Behavior
Ethics Appeal Response Letter Brief 2018-06-10 Billing Record Exhibits

For more, visit our website at www.citizensforhillsborough.org.