State Contracting Standards Board (SCSB) Executive Director Greg Daniels sent out a draft ethics policy to employees and board members restricting their ability to offer opinions or “report independently” to anyone outside the agency without approval by Daniels, appearing to place a gag order on the small but powerful board that has veto power over state contracts.
“While SCSB board members and employees are expected and encouraged to discuss the organization with one another, they shall not report opinions expressed in meetings, nor shall they report independently on the SCSB board or committee actions, or engage in any communication that has not been approved by the Executive Director or that would not be supported by SCSB board policy, procedures, or decisions,” the draft policy says.
The language was included in Section 10 of the proposed policy which pertains to maintaining confidentiality when it comes to privileged information contained in contracts examined by board members and employees. The draft was sent out to board members on Friday, July 5.
The draft policy references the state’s Guide to the Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees, which lists the usual restrictions and prohibitions on gifts, post-employment work, conflicts of interest, and financial disclosures, but makes no mention of obtaining permission to speak about public meetings. SCSB meetings are public and publicly recorded.
Reached for comment via email, Daniels said that this is only a draft policy subject to review, editing and consideration by SCSB members during their meeting on July 12.
“Nothing in this initial draft policy is intended to improperly restrict communications, nor will the prospective finalized ethics policy,” Daniels said. “One of the purposes of creating this policy is to ensure consistent and transparent disclosure in accordance with state laws and policies.”
“The draft policy is concerning as it gives an insight to the increasingly misguided view of Mr. Daniels’ role in this Board’s mission and his powers under statute,” said SCSB Board member Lauren Gauthier. “I have no doubt my fellow board members and I will give it a thorough revision to accurately reflect who we are and what we do for the taxpayers of Connecticut.”
Daniels scheduled a special meeting for ethics training in April of 2024, and while meeting minutes are available, the meeting is not posted to the SCSB’s YouTube page.
According to the minutes, Office of State Ethics (OSE) Executive Director Peter Lewandowski and Director of Education and Communications Sarah Clark presented training units on the use of state positions, gifts, conflicts of interest, outside employment, contracts, and revolving door provisions.
Reached for comment about the draft policy, Lewandowski said that all state agencies and quasi-public agencies are encouraged to draft their own policies, “which may be more restrictive than the state Codes, depending on the agency’s needs and responsibilities.”
Lewandowski said the drafted section on communications is not related to the Code of Ethics for State Employees and Public Officials, so he can offer no further comment, but did indicate that no other executive and legislative branch offices have identical language to the SCSB’s draft policy.
The special ethics meeting was attended by the full SCSB staff but only two actual board members.
At that time Daniels had canceled regular meetings of the SCSB because Michael Walsh had stepped down as board chairman. Daniels argued the board could not vote to appoint an interim chairman while awaiting Gov. Ned Lamont to make another appointment, spurring conflict between board members and Daniels.
Despite finally having a full staff after decades of only having an executive director, the SCSB faces new challenges. After having spent nearly half the year on hold waiting for a new chairperson to be appointed, Daniels recently announced the board, which has veto power over executive branch contracts, is running out of money for operational expenses and may have to cut back on meetings in 2025.
“The Board is comprised of individuals with incredible experience, integrity, and a record of public service,” Gauthier said. “The staff, and especially Lamont’s appointed executive director would do well to remember and respect the statutory relationship of the Board and its staff, and to draw on that record of experience, integrity and service from Board members.”
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