Before the madness of our last presidential election (and I say this without regard to whomever you voted for), there was a more local story that encapsulates politics and the process of electing public officials. This is governmental ethics in the trash!
Fairfax City Mayor Richard “Scott” Silverthorne was arrested for distribution of methamphetamine in an uncover sting. The mayor entered into the drug dealing lifestyle which was to exchange drugs for group sex.
The mayor was caught providing two grams of methamphetamine to undercover detectives. I might also mention that to supplement whatever they paid him to be the mayor he was also working as a substitute teacher for the Fairfax County School system. Mind boggling! Government ethics be damned by Mayor Silverthorne. Guess he felt that his lofty position would make him immune to the law?
Silverthorne was apparently distributing methamphetamine through a website used to arrange for casual sexual encounters. I’m shaking my head…doesn’t this seem too bizarre to be true?
Although his political party is easily found, for the sake of this post it is not relevant, nor is the type of sex that was solicited. In the political “theater” of the past year, there have been stories from all political areas that are equally shameful. Governmental ethics seems to have hit an all time low across the board.
According to the Fairfax police:
“During the course of communication, the suspect advised that he could provide methamphetamine for sexual encounters. Undercover detectives agreed to meet the suspect for a group sexual encounter in exchange for methamphetamine. The suspect arranged to bring methamphetamine…”
Governmental Ethics: The Shame of it All
Though Silverthorne had served the City of Fairfax as a Councilmember and Mayor for more than twenty-five years, and despite his seemingly perfect “outward” credentials, the police had a fairly good idea that the mayor was the culprit early on.
The website and the people the mayor was chatting with on the site itself, plus a citizen who had stepped up with confidential information all but sealed the deal. Seems the citizen had more governmental ethics that the mayor ever dreamed of having.
The issue here is not just a criminal issue or a morals issue or even a trust issue, it is a governmental ethics issue. Through what manner of thinking would the mayor of a city of 25,000 believe that what he was doing would have escaped notice? The mayor of a city was selling drugs in return for sex!
Despite any possible defense to the contrary, why would a teacher not think that parents and school administration would reject his behavior? He was immediately fired. Now that’s good Governmental Ethics in action!
Silverthorne is a man who allowed his arrogance to override any common sense, morality or public trust. There were few checks and balances in place, and apparently no expectations. Silverthorne may be a morally corrupt politician, but this is really more about the electorate than the politician himself.
The ethical screen
Politicians are entangled in a constant web of legalize, publicity, partisan politics, policy and issues, and all of it is part of the job whether one runs for an office in a small town or for president of a nation. However, there is a screen or a set of expectations that far too often get overlooked: ethics or governmental ethics to be exact.
Why wouldn’t the Mayor of Fairfax or any other city be required to take mandatory ethics classes? Why shouldn’t this be required of all of our elected leaders? While such classes might not prevent fraud or criminal activity in all cases, it is impossible to not believe that in some cases ethical training would serve as a deterrent.
How the Mayor of Fairfax lives as a private citizen of Fairfax is not the same thing and ethics can quickly separate the two. Ultimately, if we have no ethical expectations of our elected officials, we have little expectations of ourselves. If we descend to that level we are all lost and citizens, voters and humans.
How are we electing our politicians? My hope is, ethically.
YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME!
