Sen. Dan Wolf’s ethics problem

State Senator Dan Wolf has a problem.

The second term Democrat from Cape Cod is running for governor, but the state Ethics Commission recently ruled that he has a conflict of interest because he’s part owner of Cape Air, which has a contract with the Massachusetts Port Authority to use Logan Airport.

The Ethics Commission says he can’t serve as state senator or assume the office of governor while holding this contract.

Wolf has replied that it’s simply a standard agreement that every airline flying to Boston has and that he’s done nothing wrong. He says he will appeal the ruling with the commission and  hasn’t dismissed going to court if the commission doesn’t reconsider.

But if the commission’s ruling stands, Wolf has a decision to make – step down from the Senate and abort his run for governor or divest himself of his holdings in his airline. He has stated that if he can’t lawfully avoid the conflict he would likely resign from the Senate, forgo his campaign for governor, and not give up his share of Cape Air.

Over the years the Ethics Commission has seldom been criticized for being too tough, but this is one of those times.

Senate President Therese Murray described the commission ruling as “harsh” and Sen. Kenneth Donnelly, who co-chairs a joint committee that provides oversight of state agencies, suggested that his committee may consider amending the conflict of interest law.

But such legislative changes are usually slow in the making and no candidate for governor wants to start his campaign by fending off ethics charges.

It will be unfortunate if Wolf has to give up his campaign for governor. His campaign has centered on income equality, education, infrastructure, transportation, clean energy and environmental issues. He says he will run a “grassroots” campaign and has already begun a tour that will visit dozens of cities and towns in the next few weeks.

His stands on the issues and populist appeal likely put him to the left of most of the Democratic candidates, announced and unannounced, who are preparing a run for the corner office.

Other Democrats are running for governor

The others are Treasurer Steve Grossman, health care executive Joseph Avellone and former Obama Administration Medicare and Medicaid official Donald Berwick.

Also said to be considering a run are Attorney General Martha Coakley, Cong. Michael Capuano and Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone. Others could get in the race later, but time is running short, even if the election is still fifteen months away.

But Wolf is the only one with this kind of problem.

He has said that the conflict of interest law is too restrictive and is antithetical to the philosophy that elected officials shouldn’t be career politicians. He says that there needs to be a mix of people seeking public office, including business people.

It’s hard to argue this point, but former Gov. Mitt Romney went right from the world of commerce to serving in the state’s highest office and placed his many business interests into a blind trust to avoid an appearance of a conflict.

It can be done and this is an option Wolf should explore.

The state’s ethics laws are strict, basically apply to all state and municipal employees and elected officials, and are designed to prevent people in power from unfairly helping themselves and their friends.

There’s no evidence that Wolf’s conflict has benefitted him or anyone else, but the state’s ethics watchdog has said it’s illegal.

Massachusetts would benefit from Dan Wolf’s continued service and gubernatorial campaign, but the state should not change its tough ethics laws for him or anyone else.

Posted by Bruce Garlow on August 22, 2013. Filed under Columns,Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry