2-5-21 fdl ethics board hearing for fdl city councilmember

The Fond du Lac Ethics Board holds a formal hearing Friday to determine whether a Fond du Lac city councilmember violated the city’s ethics code. Last November the board found probable cause that councilmember Ben Giles violated the code’s sections of Dedicated Service, Fair and Equal Treatment and Conflict of Interest.   One question is whether Giles received a reward for his votes in favor of development at Lakeside Park when mutual donors of Lakeside Forward and the Historical Society allowed their previous donations to the Society be reallocated to hire Giles as the society’s director.  A separate investigation by the Oshkosh Police Department found a probable violation of the state statute, but the district attorney declined to pursue forfeiture proceedings because the case was already being considered by the Ethics Board.   Meanwhile, Giles attorney has asked that the Ethics Board chairman recuse himself from the hearing over a potential conflict of interest because he signed the nomination papers of a council candidate who opposes development at Lakeside Park.