Ethics Commission clears parks and buildings boss

The town Ethics Commission has ruled in favor of Parks and Buildings Superintendent Greg Chorvas in a case that alleged he pressured employees to support the town supervisor and two Town Board members at a 2015 Republican Party caucus.

The decision in Chorvas’ favor was unanimous.

The case was based on a complaint by Brett Baschnagel, a former field supervisor in Chorvas’ department who since has moved to Florida. The complaint, brought to the Ethics Commission by town Conservative Party Chairman George Heidcamp and Jennifer McGee, contended that Chorvas, on Aug. 6, 2015, used his supervisory position to pressure employees to support the re-election bids of town Supervisor Greg Helsmoortel and Town Board members Fred Costello and Councilwoman Leeanne Thornton.

Baschnagel alleged that employees were told their jobs would be at risk if someone other than Helsmoortel won the nomination.

The Ethics Commission said in its ruling that there was not a “fair preponderance of credible evidence” to support the complaint.

“Mr. Baschnagel claimed that [Chorvas] stressed at a staff meeting the importance of attending the Republican caucus,” the commission wrote. But later, the ruling said, “other employees of the department, as well as Mr. Chorvas, denied that any of [this] ... had actually occurred.”

Chorvas on Tuesday declined to comment about the decision. He previously described Baschnagel as a disgruntled employee, a characterization that Baschnagel denied.

Helsmoortel said the complaint was detrimental to the image of the town.

“I feel it was more unfair to the town ... the employees, Greg Chorvas and the Town Board,” he said Tuesday.