San Jose Scratches Head Over Official’s Ethical Dilemma
The San Jose Police Department pays $55,000 a month to rent an evidence warehouse on Monterey Road. The owner, District 6 Council member Michael Mulcahy, a San Jose official who votes on police spending reports, raising the question, "Is there a conflict of interest?"
San José Spotlight reports, "political ethics and government legal experts agree Mulcahy’s upfront disclosure about the property — and the timing of the agreement well before he took office — don’t point to any abuse of his position for personal enrichment."
Davina Hurt, Ethics Center director, government ethics, told San José Spotlight that Mulcahy’s situation could end up sharpening the city’s ethics rules.
“Through appearances of conflict, you can find good ways to create policy that furthers transparency and good governance,” said Hurt.
Davina Hurt, director, government ethics, quoted by San José Spotlight.