On November 13, 2017, the Local Finance Board, the chief enforcer of the Local Government Ethics Law, issued two Notices of Violation to Pennsauken (Camden County) Mayor John F. (“Jack”) Killion with each imposing a $500 fine.

One Notice of Violation states that between 2008 and 2012, Killion, while a member of the Township Committee and the Township’s Director of Public Safety, attended and participated in meetings related to police matters when his son, Michael Killion, served as a Pennsauken police officer.  According to the Notice, Mayor Killion participated in four meetings in 2012 regarding the implementation of 12-hour police work shifts at which Michael was present in his capacity as a member of the police union’s executive board.  According to the violation notice, Killion’s participation at these meetings “constituted the use or attempted use of his official position to secure unwarranted privileges or advantages for himself or others, and constituted actions in his official capacity in matters where he had a direct or indirect financial or personal involvement that might reasonably be expected to impair his objectivity or independence of judgment.”

The other Notice of Violation charged Killion with using “his official position [as Deputy Mayor] to secure the placement of an unused police vehicle in front of his personal home for multiple days when he was away from that home for an extended period.”  In making its determination, the Board found that Mayor Killion secured an “unwarranted privilege” and noted that the “the general public does not have the same access to the privileged use of that public resource.”

Both Notices of Violation stated that Killion “opted not to respond to the Board’s Notice of Investigation or the subsequent Final Notice of Investigation.”  Both also invited Killion to request an administrative hearing within 30 days if he contested the penalties.  Two other complaints against Killion were dismissed in the investigative stage.

Chairman of the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy Project. Please send all comments to [email protected]