Ethics Commission Ruling 2011-18 Re.: Doug Jeffrey

The attached document is the Rhode Island Ethics Commission's Advisory Opinion 2011-18, issued March 8, 2011, in response to a request made by Johnston Chief of Staff Doug Jeffrey.

Jeffrey, who also serves as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC), asked the Ethics Commission in January for an opinion on whether serving in both positions would constitute a conflict of interest that would require him to relinquish his RIRRC board position.

The Resource Recovery Corp. operates the Central Landfill, which is located in Johnston.

During an interview on March 28, Jeffrey said he intends to "exercise as much discretion as possible" in withholding votes on the RIRRC board that may directly affect the town.

The Ethics Commission's recommendation was that he "seek further advice from the Commission or to recuse himself" if a matter with a direct financial benefit to Johnston should be considered by the RIRRC board.

"There are seven commissioners on the Resource Recovery board," Jeffrey said, "and they can still act prudently with six votes."