How quick people forget, there is a public record concerning ethics violation from town of Templeton. It is about former Templeton selectman and veteran service officer John Caplis and valley view farm owner matt leclerc.. Simply mr leclerc did not want to pay for a building permit so mr caplis used access to funds for veterans to reimburse leclerc for cost of building permit. Those funds were not reported to state for state reimbursement of 75% of those funds. That incident in my mind was/is stealing. My opinion is if you support valley view farm, you support stealing and you do not support veterans. This is in the same category as friends of Templeton elders who raised money under the pretense of that money going to complete a kitchen facility at Templeton Senior Center. I personally donated excess of $3,000.00 to that effort. I am awaiting the town governance to take some action on these two items. These two issues could be fixed in part if the two entities would simply write a check to town to reimburse the town and to give some hope to seniors that the long promised kitchen would be completed. Selectmen are having a public meeting Wednesday, August 23, 2023 at Templeton Center fire station to talk about their goals for upcoming next fiscal year. That meeting should be attended by residents and selectmen asked if those items are on their list of goals.
My opinion based on state public documents and records of a "charity"
Final Order
On November 29, 2021, the parties filed a Joint Motion to Dismiss (“Joint Motion”) with a proposed Disposition Agreement requesting that the Commission approve the Disposition Agreement in settlement of this matter and dismiss the adjudicatory proceeding. The Presiding Officer, Wilbur P. Edwards, Jr. referred the Joint Motion, with the Disposition Agreement, to the full Commission for deliberations on December 15, 2021.
In the proposed Disposition Agreement, Respondent John Caplis, former Town of Templeton (“Town”) Director of Veterans Services, admits that he violated G.L. c. 268A, §§ 23(b)(2)(ii), 23(b)(3) and 23(b)(4).
Caplis admits that he violated § 23(b)(2)(ii) by using his official position as Director of Veterans Services to secure a reimbursement from the Town for a building permit fee for his friend Matthew LeClerc (“LeClerc”).[1] Caplis used his position as the Director of Veterans Services by submitting an invoice to the Town for G.L. c. 115 veterans benefits for LeClerc.[2] This enabled LeClerc to receive a $484 reimbursement for a building permit fee. The reimbursement LeClerc received was an unwarranted privilege of substantial value that was not available to similarly situated individuals because G.L. c. 115 benefits are not lawfully available for the reimbursement of building permit fees.
Caplis also admits that he violated § 23(b)(3) by participating as the Director of Veterans Services in matters involving LeClerc, when he had a personal friendship with LeClerc, and had a personal relationship with LeClerc’s relative.[3] Caplis knowingly or with reason to know, acted in a manner which would cause a reasonable person, having knowledge of the relevant circumstances, to conclude that LeClerc could unduly enjoy Caplis’s favor in the performance of his official duties as the Director of Veterans Services when he submitted an invoice to the Town for veteran’s benefits to be paid to LeClerc for the reimbursement of a building permit fee.
