Fined $20K for submitting false timesheets and obtaining pay for overlapping DCR and Revere work hours
On January 28, 2025, the State Ethics Commission issued a Decision and Order finding that Jessica Santiago, while simultaneously an employee of the state Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) and the City of Revere, violated the conflict of interest law by repeatedly using paid work time and sick leave from each of her public positions to perform paid work in her other public position and by submitting false timesheets to each of her employers to be paid for hours she did not work for that employer. The Commission ordered Santiago to pay a $20,000 civil penalty for the violations.
While employed as Aquatics Manager for the Revere Parks and Recreation Department in 2022, Santiago was also employed by DCR as Aquatics Program Regional Coordinator. During her dual employment, Santiago repeatedly used her scheduled City of Revere work time and/or sick leave to perform compensated work for DCR and used her scheduled DCR work time and/or sick leave to perform compensated work for the City of Revere. Santiago also repeatedly submitted timesheets to each public employer reporting she had worked for the employer or taken sick leave from her job with the employer during hours when she had actually been performing compensated work for the other employer. Santiago reported 330 overlapping hours to each of her public employers, resulting in her receiving at least $9,000 in unearned payments from them. Due in whole or in part to Santiago’s absences from her City of Revere job, the city’s pool was not properly staffed or maintained, resulting in the City of Revere having to issue thousands of dollars in refunds to parents of children impacted by cancelled swimming lessons and unexpected pool closures.
By using paid worktime and sick leave from her City of Revere job to perform compensated work for DCR and vice versa, Santiago violated the conflict of interest law’s prohibition against public employees using their official positions to obtain valuable benefits to which they are not entitled. Santiago’s submission of timesheets to the City of Revere and DCR for overlapping hours violated the conflict of interest law’s prohibitions against public employees submitting false claims for payment to their public employers.
In imposing the $20,000 civil penalty, the Commission stated, “As a result of [Santiago’s] unwarranted absences from her City job, numerous families were affected by cancelled swimming lessons and unexpected pool closures, which resulted in the City having to issue thousands of dollars in refunds. The fact that [Santiago’s] violation of the public trust came at a substantial cost to the City and harmed its residents renders her conduct particularly egregious…”
The Commission’s Enforcement Division filed an Order to Show Cause against Santiago on September 12, 2024, initiating an adjudicatory proceeding against her. Santiago failed to file an answer to the Order to Show Cause, attend a prehearing conference or attend a hearing on December 19, 2024. The January 25, 2025, issuance of the Decision and Order entering summary decision against Santiago concludes the Commission’s adjudicatory proceeding against her. Santiago has 30 days from the date of the Decision and Order to file an appeal in Superior Court.
The Commission encourages public employees to contact the Commission’s Legal Division at 617-371-9500 for free advice if they have any questions regarding how the conflict of interest law might apply to them.