A former state emergency management official has been fined $4,000 for diverting crisis recovery workers to remove a fallen tree from his driveway during the response to widespread Sandy devastation.
The state Joint Commission on Public Ethics announced the fine Tuesday against Steven Kuhr, former deputy commissioner of the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, which encompasses the Office of Emergency Management.
The ethics commission says Kuhr admitted in a settlement that he violated state ethics law prohibiting the use of his official position to secure unwarranted privileges for himself. Kuhr was dismissed from state service after the October 2012 incident.
The settlement follows an investigation into Kuhr's actions by the Office of the New York State Inspector General.
