Company Charged with Giving Illegal Gifts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2010
CONTACT: Walter C. Ayres
518-474-4418
ALBANY — The State Commission on Public Integrity today announced it has charged Conservation Services Group Inc., (CSG) with violating the State's lobbying laws by giving an employee of a State agency with which the company did business twelve free tickets to a Major League baseball game.
The State employee who received the tickets, Richard A. Gerardi, already has admitted accepting the illegal gifts and has paid a $2,460 civil penalty to the State. Mr. Gerardi was the Director of the Residential Energy Affordability Program for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority when he accepted the tickets to Yankees baseball games from Linda Russo, an employee of CSG. The tickets had a value of $820. Gerardi's unit advertised energy efficiency programs through CSG, which was the client of a lobbyist and, therefore, prohibited from giving such a gift.
The matter was referred to the Commission by the agency. The Notice of Reasonable Cause is available on-line at http://www.nyintegrity.org/enforcement/