A five-month ethics investigation of Allen County Councilmember Paul Moss has officially ended.
Today, the Allen County Ethics Commission dismissed a conflict of interest complaint filed against Moss.
Moss apologized for a phone call to Sheriff Ken Fries during the overnight traffic stop in June.
Even though he did not admit to an ethics breach, a commission member says the apology is sufficient to drop the complaint.
"I do deeply regret that my act of calling Sheriff Ken Fries on June second, 2012, has caused any citizen to question the integrity of our government and fair application of its laws."
That is Moss' apology statement- read at today's Ethics Commission meeting by board attorney Tim McCaulay.
Moss apologized for his phone call to Sheriff Fries during an overnight traffic stop in June, but did not admit to violating the county's ethics ordinance.
"I didn't ask for any favor. I asked for the process to move a little faster. And as the record clearly shows, and the facts show, there was a significant delay," Moss says.
Ethics commission members Tom Hardin and Wendy Stein accepted the apology- waiving the complaint filed against Moss, and ending a five-month investigation.
"I felt that Paul Moss accepted responsibility for what, I think, certainly I felt, was a lapse in judgment... Was a mistake," Hardin says.
Originally, an ethics violation complaint was filed against both Moss and Fries.
In September, the ethics commission waived the complaint against Fries.
"As much as anything i regret, it is bringing him into this. I made the call, obviously, I take responsibility for that, and I think the sheriff has done a good job, and I'm sorry that this affected him," Moss says.
Hardin says Moss' apology is enough to dismiss the complaint.
"To me, just the fact that it was brought to light, the fact that he acknowledged it, he didn't go so far as to say he violated the ordinance, but certainly did state that he thought his actions did create the appearance of impropriety," Hardin says.
Moss has just one month left on his term on the county council.
He did not run for re-election, and says he is done after serving on the council for the past eight years.
Today, the Allen County Ethics Commission dismissed a conflict of interest complaint filed against Moss.
Moss apologized for a phone call to Sheriff Ken Fries during the overnight traffic stop in June.
Even though he did not admit to an ethics breach, a commission member says the apology is sufficient to drop the complaint.
"I do deeply regret that my act of calling Sheriff Ken Fries on June second, 2012, has caused any citizen to question the integrity of our government and fair application of its laws."
That is Moss' apology statement- read at today's Ethics Commission meeting by board attorney Tim McCaulay.
Moss apologized for his phone call to Sheriff Fries during an overnight traffic stop in June, but did not admit to violating the county's ethics ordinance.
"I didn't ask for any favor. I asked for the process to move a little faster. And as the record clearly shows, and the facts show, there was a significant delay," Moss says.
Ethics commission members Tom Hardin and Wendy Stein accepted the apology- waiving the complaint filed against Moss, and ending a five-month investigation.
"I felt that Paul Moss accepted responsibility for what, I think, certainly I felt, was a lapse in judgment... Was a mistake," Hardin says.
Originally, an ethics violation complaint was filed against both Moss and Fries.
In September, the ethics commission waived the complaint against Fries.
"As much as anything i regret, it is bringing him into this. I made the call, obviously, I take responsibility for that, and I think the sheriff has done a good job, and I'm sorry that this affected him," Moss says.
Hardin says Moss' apology is enough to dismiss the complaint.
"To me, just the fact that it was brought to light, the fact that he acknowledged it, he didn't go so far as to say he violated the ordinance, but certainly did state that he thought his actions did create the appearance of impropriety," Hardin says.
Moss has just one month left on his term on the county council.
He did not run for re-election, and says he is done after serving on the council for the past eight years.
