(Good, appropriate conflict of interest questions. – promoted by JulieWaters)
Republican State Sen. Phil Scott is running for lieutenant governor. His latest Campaign Finance Disclosure Form reveals a Mr. David Dill, of Lyndonville, donated $300 to the campaign.
Is this the same David Dill who is secretary of the Vermont Agency of Transportation? Assuming it is indeed that David Dill, where do we draw the “conflict of interest” line? Sen. Scott owns a construction company (DuBois Construction) that does transportation-related work and is vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Transportation, and Mr. Dill heads the state agency in charge of keeping our roads and sidewalks paved. A quick Google search shows DuBois Construction has bid VTRANS projects in the past. Sen. Scott is a longtime member and former chairman of the Associated General Contractors of Vermont. Democratic Sen. Dick Mazza, chairman of the Senate Committee on Transportation, also donated to Scott.
Sen. Scott is a nice gentlemen who undoubtedly cares about our state; I mean no disrespect to him by way of this post and realize these things (sadly) happen all too often. But I’m troubled if VTRANS’ head honcho is contributing to the campaign of another transportation official – regardless of political party – who also happens to own a construction firm. Assuming it is that Dill, not giving would seem to have been the ethical choice. Furthermore, are GMD’ers as upset with Sen. Mazza for donating to a Republican’s statewide campaign as they were with Laura Moore for doing the same thing?
His bio from the 2008 press release when he was appointed VTRANS secretary:
David Dill of Lyndon (emphasis added) was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Agency of Transportation in August 2004. Prior to this appointment, he spent six years as the Agency’s Director of Maintenance and Operations with responsibility for the Agency’s nine maintenance districts. For the last two of those years, he also had responsibility for Vermont airport, public transit, and rail operations.
Dill earned a BA at Wake Forest University and holds a master’s degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. He was also a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Command and Staff College. He served in the US Air Force for 21 years as a pilot and political/military officer, including a tour in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He retired as a full colonel.
Prior to coming to the Agency, Dill was the first Town Administrator for the Town of Lyndon, serving for eight years and still residing in the town. Subsequently he also served as a town Selectman for four years.
???
I guess this bothers me.
I don’t think it is right to post this as a conjecture as to whether this is the person in question. Before writing this piece, a simple call to this man would clarify the matter and then the post is appropriate and wouldn’t need that qualifier.
Sorry, just the way I feel about it.
Long detailed answer to the question: Some of us knew about the Laura Moore contribution from all the way back on filing day. By the time it was reported on here (a couple weeks after the filing), it had already become a hot topic of conversation among Democratic Party activist circles, and Ms. Moore was already fielding questions about it. As such, we were as much discussing the internal firestorm that was getting underway, as the actual contribution itself.
Short, direct answer to the question: Hell yes we are.
I’ve had this conversation with several people in the past (about Scott’s place on the Senate Transportation Committee, not about this contribution from the Secretary of the AOT): It’s true that- ideally- you’d like to have people with some knowledge of a subject on whatever committees, where they can provide valuable, knowledgeable insight and understanding. That said, it is certainly pretty gross to have the owner of a construction company that bids on state jobs in a place of seniority on the committee that oversees those very projects. There’s a line to be drawn there, for sure…
that I think the participants are often quite oblivious to the possibility that they are doing something inappropriate. It’s no wonder that it creeps up to contaminate state affairs.
We need strict guidelines and parameters to govern these relationships; and, above all, we need campaign finance reform that truly uncouples political outcome from dollars spent.
What made Ms. Moore’s contribution so disturbing to me was the fact that she could not see it for what it was: a declaration of support for Brian Dubie and all that he represents.
“We need strict guidelines and parameters to govern these relationships; and, above all, we need campaign finance reform that truly uncouples political outcome from dollars spent.”
Yes, that is the root of the problem. All these guys are in it together to get Scott’s company the bids. They both should be exposed more for this.
Has anyone checked Dubie’s report for contributions from non-elected state officials?
This is a conflict of interest for sure. You can’t chair a committee and accept campaign money from the man or woman in charge of the main agency under your jursidiction. Scott should give the contribution back to Dill. Did Scott’s construction company ever get jobs with the state? With AOT? I really hope somebody keeps asking about this and any other contributions that stink to high heaven like this one does.