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HARVEY’S LAKE — Borough Zoning Officer Maureen Oremus was found in violation of the state Public Official and Employee Ethics Act after failing to file several years’ worth of Statements of Financial Interest (SFI) and for backdating those forms to give the impression they were filed on time, said the State Ethics Commission.
According to the findings, made available on Nov. 7, 2023, the Investigative Division of the State Ethics Commission found Oremus in violation of Ethics Act for failing to file SFI forms for 2015 and 2018 and for subsequently backdating those forms, despite the forms clearly stating that they were not to be backdated.
Oremus confirmed in a swore statement to investigators on Feb. 3, 2023 that she was aware of the process of filing SFI forms and that she did backdate the forms for the years stated above.
The findings state that, per a consent agreement, Oremus was directed to make a payment in the amount of $400 to the state to settle the matter, no more than 30 days following final ruling, and has agreed not to accept any reimbursement or compensation from the borough.
Oremus has also agreed to file complete and accurate SFI forms for Harvey’s Lake Borough, through the commission, for calendar years 2015 and 2017 through 2019.
The Investigative Division recommended that the State Ethics Commission take no further action and the case will be considered closed upon completion of the actions listed above.
Efforts to reach Oremus regarding the commission’s findings were not immediately successful.
As a public official, Oremus, who has served at Borough Zoning Officer since 2014, is required to file an SFI form by May 1 annually with information pertaining to income, creditors and expense reimbursement for the previous calendar year.
As part of a compliance review to evaluate all SFI forms completed by borough officials and covered employees, an investigator with the commission contacted borough secretary Irene Sankey on Nov. 7, 2022, to request those forms.
The findings state that Sankey discovered she did not have SFI forms for Oremus for 2015 and 2018.
After informing Oremus of this, the findings state that Sankey advised the zoning officer to date the forms to give the appearance they were filed on time.
Additionally, the commission found that Oremus failed to list Harvey’s Lake as a direct/indirect source of income for her SFI form for 2017 and 2018. She also failed to disclose her employment with Air Excellence on her 2019 SFI form. This charge was ultimately dismissed by the commission.
Oremus was previously the subject of much controversy in Harvey’s Lake, after residents at several council meetings accused her of a “conflict of interest” when she referred residents seeking zoning approval to utilize her boyfriend and contractor, Jerry Brown, for building projects.
Oremus has previously denied all allegations against her in regards to borough residents complaints.
An FBI investigation into Harvey’s Lake has been ongoing for more than a year, and appears to be centered around The Zoning Office and Oremus, as reported by ournewsgathering partners at Eyewitness News WBRE/WYOU.
It is unclear if the ethics complaint borough resident Manny Santayana claimed to have filed against Oremus in May 2022 is at all related to the findings of this case.