An ethics complaint filed by Commissioner John Pethel against Commission Chairman Wesley Nash has resulted in a $200 fine for Nash.
Pethel maintained that Nash illegally used county equipment for political purposes in 2004, while Nash said he used a county computer for a few dollars worth of printing.
According to the “findings and conclusions” filed by the State Ethics Commission on May 22, “in September or October of 2004, Respondent (Nash) brought his own blank mailing labels and a computer disk, containing the names of registered voters in Madison County, to the Madison County Planning and Zoning Office. Respondent then used a computer and printer located in the Planning and Zoning office and printed mailing labels bearing the names of voters in Madison County.”
Nash acknowledged that he did use a county printer. He said he chose to pay the fine rather than hire a lawyer to fight against Pethel, which he said would have cost “a whole lot of money.”
“It was just a lot cheaper to pay the fine than hire a lawyer to fight it,” said Nash. “I have never asked the county to pay any of my legal bills. And I already have a sizable personal investment in this, because I didn’t ask the county to pay my legal bills.”
Pethel said he felt Nash got off far too easily.
“I feel like the fine issued by the commission was not nearly as much as it should have been for
