Politics & Government

County Attorney on Enforcing Financial Disclosure Laws

McLean Community Center Chair, Member fail to file a month after deadline

Some of the neighbors have asked if the two members of the McLean Community Center board who have failed to file their financial disclosure statements can remain in office.

McLean Patch reported a week ago that three members of the Community Center board, including chairman David G. Sanders, failed to file financial disclosure statements that are required by Virginia law. The state requires members of certain local and state government boards to disclose their financial interests each year to avoid conflicts of interest. The reports are due Jan. 15.

Nearly a month after the deadline Sanders, a longtime board member, plus members  Craig Richardson, a local Realtor, and Robin Walker, an artist and homemaker, had not filed. Walker told us the day that story ran that she had now filed her statement. Sanders and Richardson have never responded to our inquiries.

We put your question to the Commonwealth's Attorney office, the county's prosecutor,  who enforces the financial disclosure law. Fairfax Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Ian M. Rodway said, "They probably can continue to hold office until we take steps against them."

The financial disclosure forms “are important," he said. "If they are filled out accurately they can show a potential conflict of interest. It’s so that somebody in reviewing them can pick out it they have interest in companies do business with the county.”

The 11-member McLean Community Center board, which is elected, is the most powerful board in town because they collect our tax dollars to run the McLean Community Center. They have accumulated a $12 million surplus over the years by charging taxpayers more than it costs to operate the center.

Recently the board negotiated a with real estate company Jones Lang to study the feasibility of the board building a new community center in downtown. The board is spending another $90,000 to install new signs that direct the public to the community center.

“It is not illegal for an elected official to have money in a company but if there is a contract that the county makes (with that company) it may potentially be a conflict of interest if the elected official has stock in the company,” Rodway said.

The Virginia law states: "The General Assembly, recognizing that our system of representative government is dependent in part upon ... citizens maintaining the highest trust in their public officers and employees, finds and declares that the citizens are entitled to be assured that the judgment of public officers and employees will be guided by a law that defines and prohibits inappropriate conflicts and requires disclosure of economic interests."

Rodway promised to get back to us with the answer to two additional questions: What actions does the Commonwealth's Attorney take when they find a violation of the law? Have they ever prosecuted anyone under this law?

When we hear Rodway, we'll let you know.


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