Overview
- The State Ethics Commission, which announced findings Wednesday, said there is reasonable cause to believe Carlo DeMaria broke conflict‑of‑interest law by taking unauthorized longevity pay and hiding it.
- Investigators allege he received about $180,000 from 2016 to 2022 and rerouted the payments into budget lines used for sick and vacation payouts to keep them out of view.
- The commission has opened an adjudicatory proceeding that can levy up to $10,000 per violation with restitution possible, with a hearing expected within 90 days.
- DeMaria, through attorney Gerry D'Ambrosio, denies wrongdoing and calls the case a dispute over a 2016 ordinance that set $10,000 per mayoral term for longevity pay.
- Prior reviews add context to the case, including the inspector general’s finding that he took $180,000 in bonuses, a city audit flagging a $32,000 2023 payout and higher card charges, and penalties for four firms that routed $19,500 in illegal donations to his campaign.