La Crosse, WI (WXOW) - The La Crosse County Ethics Board has cleared County Administrator Steve O'Malley of alleged violations. A local government watchdog group filed the complaints alleging improper activity by O'Malley because of his support of a City Administrator referendum last Spring.
The three member Board rejected those allegations. In announcing its ruling,The Board writes in part;
"...it does not believe the complainant met the burden of proof to support the claim that Mr. O'Malley used County services or equipment for "unauthorized personal convenience or for profit." On the contrary, we found that Mr. O'Malley's actions were implicitly authorized by the County Board."
"The Board does not believe the complainant met the burden of proof to support the claim that Mr. O'Malley received any "special consideration, treatment or advantage" by his activities in advocacy of a La Crosse City Administrator. We did not hear any evidence of personal benefits received or sought."
"Mr. O'Malley's advocacy for professional government was appropriate for someone who is a County administrator, and since his advocacy was appropriate, his limited use of County resources while engaged in that activity was appropriate as well."
The letter is signed by the three members of the Ethics Board: Richard Kyte, Lynne Valiquette and the Rev. Mark Solyst.
