BURRILLVILLE – Pascoag Fire Commissioner Brian Mathieu violated state ethics law when he failed to recuse himself from votes to approve more than $11,000 in payments to his employer, Burrillville Motor Sales, according to the Rhode Island Ethics Commission.
Mathieu has been ordered to pay a civil penalty of $1,000 for the infraction, according to an order issued on Tuesday, Feb. 26,
The payments for towing and repair services took place on 16 occasions over the course of three years.
Mathieu was first elected to the Pascoag Fire Commission, the governing board for the independent village district, in 2014. He’s worked for Burrillville Motors since 2011 as a mechanic and tow truck driver, according to the order issued this week.
A complaint against Mathieu was filed with the ethics board in November by Gregory McCutcheon, the husband of district tax collector Laurie McCutcheon, who was suspended from the job last year.
Meeting minutes submitted to the state board showed the commissioner approving payments to the company, doing business as Larry’s Towing, since 2015.
Mathieu is the second commissioner, and third district leader, to face charges before the ethics board over the past year.
Read more about the other charges filed against the district here.
