WiCorvilCo COUNTY ETHICS COMMISSION

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COMPLAINT NO. 15-01

COMPLAINT NO. 15-02

RESOLUTION OF DECISION
The Wicomico County Ethics Commission (hereafter Comm
ission), in the matter of Complaint
2015-01 and Complaint 2015-02, after consideration of the
testimony and written documentation
presented to the Commission at four meetings held over
a four week time period, does hereby
make the following Resolution of Decision in this matter in
accordance with the provisions of
Chapter 37, Ethics Law, of the Wicomico County Code.
A. Background
Courtney Culver was hired as a revenue specialist in the Depa
rtment of Finance on August 6,2015.
The Wicomico County Department of Law received an ethic
s complaint by email, dated August 25,
2015, from a citizen asking, if the hiring of Executive Culver
s daughter by Wicomico County in any
way violates any established rules concerning nepotism.
The Commission requested the citizen
complete the Commissions complaint form which was done
by the citizen and received on August
28, 2015. On the complaint form the citizen listed four complain
ts. One of the four complaints
stated, Executive Culver has used the prestige of his office
to circumvent the County hiring
processes and ignore rules that specifically address nepotism
in the County Employee Handbook in
the hiring of his daughter Courtney Culver in the County Financ
e Department. The remaining
three complaints made by the citizen will be addressed in a
separate opinion.
The Commission received an additional complaint from the
Wicomico County Council on
September 4, 2015, asking the Commission to determine
whether the hiring of County Executive
Bob Culvers daughter, Courtney Culver, in the Departme
nt of Finance is a violation of the
Wicomico County Ethics Code. This second complaint also
asked the Commission to review the
involvement of the Director of Human Resources, Michele
Ennis, and the Director of Finance,
Leslie Lewis, in the hiring of the Executives daughter in the
Department of Finance to determine
whether they were negligent and/or culpable in violating
the Wicomico County Ethics Law, the
County Charter, or the Personnel Regulations.
The Commission met to discuss the complaints and sent two
letters requesting information of the
Director of Human Resources and Director of Finance with
respect to the hiring of Courtney
Culver. The letters were dated September 1, 2015 and Sept
ember 14, 2015, receiving responses
on September 8, 2015 and September 17, 2015, respectively.
At said meetings the Commission
thoroughly reviewed the documentation of this hire. Additi
onally, the Commission met with the
County employees who participated in the hiring and inter
view process for the position Courtney
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Culver filled, members of County administration and

other persons with relevant information.
Notice of all meetings were posted on the Countys
website.
B. Relevant Law
The Commission reviewed all applicable laws and
County policies related to the above stated
complaints.
C. Conclusions and Final Order.
There is no evidence Executive Culver participated
in the hiring of his daughter, either directly or
indirectly. There is no evidence Executive Culver used
the prestige of his office for the gain of his
daughter. There is no evidence Michele Ennis, Director
of Human Resources, or Leslie Lewis,
Director of Finance, used the prestige of their offic
es to hire the Executives daughter, Courtney
Culver, into the Department of Finance.
Based upon the Commissions review of the documen
tation surrounding the hiring process and
interviews with various persons, the Wicomico Cou
nty Ethics Commission finds:
1. That Executive Culver did not violate Chapter 37 of
the Wicomico County Code, titled
Ethics Law;
2. That Michele Ennis did not violate Chapter 37
of the Wicomico County Code, titled Ethics
Law; and
3. That Leslie Lewis did not violate Chapter 37 of the
Wicomico County Code, titled Ethics
Law.

APPROVED this

day of September 2015.

/
Robin Hylloway

JeffrevBadeT

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