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The Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission has determined former Luzerne County election director violated the state ethics act for recommending the county&rsquo;s purchase of electronic poll books from a company while she served on that company&rsquo;s advisory board.
				Crispell also violated the act or failing to file a 2014 statement of financial interest that disclosed the receipt of transportation, lodging and hospitality exceeding $650 in connection with her position as election director, the commission said.
				As punishment, Crispell, who left county employment last September, must pay $3,500 to the state through monthly $100 installments. The consent agreement also directs her to pay another $500 to the commission to help cover its costs to investigate and enforce the matter.
				The ruling cites Crispell&rsquo;s participation in discussions and evaluations as part of a request-for-proposals for the county&rsquo;s purchase of electronic poll books from Election Systems & Software, or ES&S, at a time she was serving on the company&rsquo;s advisory board.
				Crispell has said the ES&S advisory board trips to Las Vegas, Nevada and Omaha, Nebraska, were valued at nearly $2,500.
				ES&S received a $325,000 county electronic poll book contract.
				When the trips became publicly disclosed during her county employment, Crispell said her advisory involvement was cleared by Administrative Services Division Head David Parsnik and county assistant solicitor Michael Butera and that she stepped down from the advisory role in fall 2017 before the county sought proposals from electronic poll book suppliers in January 2018.
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Former Luzerne County election director must pay fine for ethics code violation, state says