Ex-DOT Official Fined $2G For Ethics Lapse

A former ranking Department of Transportation official has paid a $2,000 fine for violating city conflict-of-interest laws by representing a private firm dealing with DOT less than three weeks after he retired.

Charles McHugh had been Bronx Director of Operations/Borough Planner - overseeing more than 100 maintenance employees who handled street resurfacing and pothole repairs - at the time of his retirement from DOT, after 37 years of service, on March 30, 2001.

Got Jump on 2nd Career

In the written stipulation under which he admitted wrongdoing and agreed to pay the fine, he stated that shortly before retiring, he had applied for a job with Haider Engineering P.C., a firm that had a city contract to monitor street-milling work by an outside company.

He was hired by Haider on April 18, 2001, and that same day he attended a meeting the firm had with Department of Design and Construction officials about monitoring a resurfacing contract for DOT. Several DOT employees were present, Mr. McHugh stated, "and I discussed with them the scope of work, technical requirements and procedures involved in performing HEPC's contract."

He subsequently dealt with DOT employees on a regular basis. All these meetings, Mr. McHugh acknowledged, violated a City Charter provision that "no former public servant shall, within a period of one year after termination of such person's service with the city, appear before the city agency served by such public servant."

The penalty was imposed by the city Conflicts of Interest Board.