It must be admitted that there are times when I review the consequences of an ethical case such as that of Ex-Mayor of Charlotte, Patrick Cannon; I am left with a feeling of intense sadness. The feeling can stay with me for hours.
On March 26, 2014, and after only 114 days in office as Charlotte’s Mayor, Mr. Cannon released a brief statement that he felt it was in the best interests of the city government that he resigns. The city council quickly held a press conference to state they were deeply disappointed and that they remain committed to honest government. I believe them; but I also believe their commitment and comments should be to ethical government as well.
What Happened?
In looking over the official criminal complaint filed against the defendant by the Federal government on March 26, 2014, Mr. Cannon has been charged with extortion, accepting bribes, wire service fraud and other criminal activities.
The scandal had come about as early as 2010 when agents were apparently tipped off to corruption in Charlotte. Mr. Cannon, who was then just a council member, was not initially the target. Agents were to discover that when they posed as crooked businesspeople trying to gain sweet deals on zoning or prime real estate, Mr. Cannon was the one who could be easily influenced.
In addition to receiving bribes from the phony businesspeople for real estate deals and zoning advantages, Cannon also solicited money from the agents in order to launch a new business for a feminine hygiene product. The product never existed other than in Cannon’s imagination.
The Ex-Mayor took at least $48,000 in cash, plus airline tickets, hotel rooms and a trip to Las Vegas. He met the agents at a rented apartment, in the offices of a company he owned called E-Z Parking and in city offices proper. In fact, Cannon took a $20,000 bribe in the office of the mayor as he was supposedly conducting city business.
The sadness around this case is not just for the Ex-Mayor and his family, but for all of the kind, decent people who nurtured and mentored a young child who had risen from the misery of the projects. His father was shot to death when Mr. Cannon was just five years old.Organizations and mentors in programs such as Charlotte’s Big Brothers and Sisters did what they could to give him support.
One of those who gave Cannon a good start in life is Republican Pat McCrory who taught the young man how to swim, but more so, he gave Cannon his start in politics back to 1993. McCrory has been widely quoted as saying:
“He was very close to me and my family. I’m just extremely disappointed and angry.”
Greed of the Heart
When we review a case such as this, most often people ask if a person starts trading favors for bribes solely because of money pressures.
I have never endorsed that point of view.
It is true that the Mayor of Charlotte is not paid like the mayor of a major city. Base salary and expenses are only about $33,000. However, let’s hold off before making any judgments. The mayor is officially allowed to have outside business interests. Though no reference I could find listed the exact amount of money Mr. Cannon made from his E-Z Parking business, it was said to be much more than his mayoral salary.
He may not have been “wealthy,” however he was not indigent either. Also, let’s not forget that when he resigned office, he was only 49 years old. He was a rising star. He was advancing in political circles and who knows, he might have been catapulted to a national stage.
Now he is looking at a 30 year jail sentence.
In the course of my speaking and teaching on the topic of ethics, I have known people of very humble means who were extremely ethical and I have met – and written about people who were very wealthy and without any ethical compass whatsoever.
What is the determining difference? With all my heart, I believe that when people are not constantly reminded of the consequences of unethical practices, they often choose the wrong road. Perhaps they are taught consequences by parents, friends and relatives; perhaps in their churches or synagogues; perhaps by a teacher who gives a darn. But to be honest, people in those groups have been increasingly abdicating their responsibilities.
As an expert in teaching the consequences stemming from poor ethical decisions, I cannot tell you how many groups I have addressed where there are people in the audience who will “fight me” when I talk of consequences. I hear these folks argue and I am saddened.
They are setting themselves up for failure; if not in their business, service or organizational lives, in their personal lives.
I might have been able to reach out to Mr. Cannon as none of his peers had been able to do. I have been where he is most likely going and I could have vividly described the feeling of losing everything.
Every choice has a consequence. Perhaps, the City of Charlotte should become a client, like the City of Fort Collins, CO or the Florida Association of Counties, both organizations seeing value in ethical training.
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