Politics & Government

Document: Ethics Commission Review of Bennett's Augusta Trip

Members of the Aberdeen City Government Ethics Commission found Bennett in violation of the city's code of ethics.

After Aberdeen mayoral candidate Patrick McGrady submitted a complaint about Mayor Michael Bennett's trip to Augusta, GA, to the city's ethics commission on Oct. 14, the commission released its decision less than three weeks later.

Commission members Maria Fothgill, Myra Fender and Jesse J. Shanks said in their report that Bennett "did not willfully violate the Aberdeen Code of Ethics, but because of a series of imprudent actions and failure to think through the implications and consequences of these actions, violations did occur.

Marian de Rosset is on the ethics commission, but did not sign the review.

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t, stating that Bennett traveled to Augusta on Oct. 3 to lobby for the Ripken Baseball group for personal gain. The Ethics Commission found Bennett in violation by not providing “adequate disclosure to the public” and using “the prestige of [his] office for private gain,” according to the review.

Bennett said he is dismayed that this was “an open and shut case.”  He said that he was not speaking on behalf of the city or the  but he was only speaking about how the city’s relationship with Ripken Baseball works.

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The Ripken Baseball group paid for Bennett's travel expenses to speak to Augusta leaders at an event about building a new stadium for the city's minor league baseball team, the GreenJackets.

McGrady faces Bennett in the Aberdeen mayoral contest in the city's Nov. 8 municipal election. 


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