Verkada Hosted Dinner and Drinks For Public School Superintendent
Verkada invited senior officials from five NJ school districts to a 'fine dining' Italian restaurant earlier this year, after which the superintendent of one (Michael Fox) district thanked Verkada and endorsed the company to colleagues.
This is the latest in a series of unethical activities IPVM has uncovered with Verkada (e.g., see Verkada Offers Public School Employees $100 for 15 Minute Calls and Verkada Illegal Gifts To Stop After IPVM Inquiry) in our ongoing investigation.
In this report, IPVM examines the May 31 gathering; the sales/endorsement activities of Demarest Superintendent of Schools Michael Fox following the dinner; and the potential legal and ethical implications when public officials accept gifts from companies.
Background *******
**** ******** ****** *** ** **** request ***** ******** ******* ******* ********* from **** ******** *** ****** ****** districts ** ****** ********, ** ******* ********** ** *********, **, ** *** **, ****.
****** ********** ****** ******* $**-******* **** **** ******** ******* **** $46 ** $***.
******
** *** **,*******'* ***** ********** ********* **** **** ******** ***** Jersey ****** *********, ********* ********, ****** Ferry, *********, ***** ****, *** **********, an ****** ** ****** **** ***** at ******:
***** *****, *** ********* ******* ******** Administrator, *** ****** *****, *** ********** Schools ******** *************, ****** ********* *** dinner **** ********* ** ****.
Morning *****: ***** ***** ** **********
*** ******* ********* *** ******,******** ************** ** ******* ******* ********* ******* *** *** ******** *****, starting *** ******* ****:
*** **** ** *** ******* (****** in **** *****) ******** *** ********* Verkada ** ***** *******:
Superintendent, ******** ************* ******* *******
***** **** ****** ******** ******** *************/***** Secretary ****** **********, *** **** ******** the ******, ********* ** ***'* **** 1 *****.
***** ******** ******* *** "* **** evening," ********** **** *** *** "**********" in *******, *** ***** ******* "**********" (Antoinette *****, ******** *************/***** ********* ** Demarest, *** ******* ******* ** *** dinner) "*** * ****":
Fox: ******* *** *******
*** **** *****, ********* * ******* *** *******:
*** *** *** ******* ** **** questions ***** *** ************ **** *******, specifically ******* ** *** **** *********** by ******* ** ******** ** *** recent ******.
NJ ****** ****** ***
***** ****** ****** ***,(****), "** ******** ** ****** **** the ******* ** ****** ********* ***** the ******* *** ********** ** *** people. ... ****** ********* **** ***** conduct ***** ** ** ********* ** their ****** ***** ** ***** ******* a *********** ********** **** *** ****** trust ** ***** ********."
*** *** ******* * ****** ******** as "* ***** ******, ** *************, or * ********** ******** ** ******* of *** *** ****** ****** ****** Association, ** **** ** *** ******* of *** ***** ** ******** ** a ******* ******":
***. ***:**-** (*) ** *** ********* ********** ************ *** ****** "*******, *****, ****, ********* ************,*******, ******* ** ****** **********or ***** ***** ** ***** based upon the understanding that the gift, favor, loan, contribution, service, promise, or other thing of value [that] was ***** ** ******* *** *** ******* ** *********** ***, ******** ** **********, in the discharge of his official duties"[emphasis *****]
*** ****-****** ** ****** ****** **********, which "*** *** ***** ** ***** advisory ********, ******* **********, ******* *** retain ********** **********, ******* **************, [***] hold ********," ** ********* ** *** governor *** ******* **** ********* ****** in ** *******. *** ********** *** subpoena ****** "** ** *** **** necessary ** ******* *** ****** ****** Act."
*** ******* **** ** ***** *** a ****** ****** ******** *** **** to "***-*******-**** *******" ** * ******, whereby*** ********** ****************** ** ****, *********:
** *** ********** **** *** ********* the ******** **** ** ******* *********, namely *******, ******* ***** ******* *** administrators ***** ** ******** **** ********* a ****, ** ******** *****, **** a ******* ******, *********** ******, ** hypothetical ******. *******, ***** ******* *** administrators ***** ****** **** ** ***** the **** ********** **** * *********, censure, ** **** * **********, **** the ******* ** ********* * ****. In ***** *****, ** ****** ********* are ********* ** ****** **** * nominal **** ******* *** ****** ** removal, ***** ** ******* ***** ***** prohibit *** ********* ********** ** *****. Consequently, *** ********** ********** * ******* of *******.
***** ***** **** ********** *** ******** ******** * *-*****-********** for "*** ***-******* **** **** ** Arizona ** ****"
*********
**** ********* *** ** *** ********* who **** ******* ** *** ****** multiple *****. **** ***** *****, *** Ridgewood ******* ******** *************, *** ****** Kelly, *** ********** ******* ******** *************, who **** ****** *********, *********.
************** *** **** *** *** ******* to ******** **** ******** *** ******* about *** ************ **** ******* *** the ******* *********** *** *** ** dinner.
******* *** *** ******* ** ******** IPVM ******** *** *******.
** ***** * ************ ** ******* actually **** *** ***** ******?
** ***** **** ******* ********** ***** that, **** ******* ** *******.
**** ** ** **** ** **** Verkada ****** *** ****** *** ***** the *****, **. *** ******* ******* for **** *** ******.
** ** ** ****** *** **** these ****** ********* **** *** ***** own **** *** ******, ** ******* Mr. *** ** ******* *** ** will ****** *** *********.
****, ** ******* ******* *** ******** them ** *** ********. ******* **** I'm ******* ** ******/****** **** ******* I ***** **** *** *** **********, even ****** * **** *** ** own ****. * **** ** ***'* true **** **** ******** **** *******, doesn't **** **** *** *** ********* system **** ** ******* ***** ********.
******* *** ** *** ****. **'* New ******. **** **** **** * attended * ******* **** * ****** prominent **** ********, *** ** *** clear **** "*********" ****** ***** ** several ****'*. *** ******* *** * "slam ****" *** *** ***** ******* would **** **** ******. * ****** out ** ********** *** ********* ****** meetings.
********** ********** *** ******* ** *** field. **** ** *******
*** ** ******** ** *** ******* school ** ** ***** ** * highly ****** ***** **********; ** ******** like *,*** *******, ***+ ***** *** a ********** ***.
**** *** ***** * *** *** post ** ********, **'* **** ** the **** ****** **** *** ****** rep ** * ******* **** **** a $*,*** ****** ********** ****.
****'** ******** **** ******* ******, *****?
**** *** ***** * *** *** post ** ********, **'* **** ** the **** ****** **** *** ****** rep ** * ******* **** **** a $*,*** ****** ********** ****. ****'** probably **** ******* ******, *****?
*** *** ******* ***** ** ***** LinkedIn *****? *** *** **** ***** them ** **,******@****.***.
******
*****, *** *** ** **** ******? Sounds **** * ******* **** **** count
* ** * *** ************ *** fine ****** ******* ********** ****'* *** up ***** ***** ******.
**** ****** **** ***** **-****** *********** with *** ***** ****** ****. ******* the ***** **** **'* ******** **** the ******** **** ***** ** **** shady, *** *****'* ****** ** ****. The **** ** ****** ******** *** "If *** ***'* *** **, ***** it, ** ***** **, *** ***'* have **" ** *** *** ** bought *** * **** **** *** don't **** ** ** ** ****** of ****** ********.
"** *** ***'* *** **, ***** it, ** ***** **, *** ***'* have **"
*** ***** ** ** *** ********* rules **** **** *** ****** *********.
"** *** ***'* *** **, ***** it, ** ***** **, *** ***'* have **"
****'* *** * ****, ****'* **** evidently #*'* *******. ******** ********* **** accepting ****** *** ****** **** ********* is ***** *********** *** *** ******* reasons **** *********** *** ************* ** not **** ***** ********* ** ** biased ** ***** ****** **** ******** gifts. *** ***** ** ** ** one **** ******* ** **** ********.
*** * **** ******** ** **** Keeps ******** ***** - *************
******** ** ****** ********* *** ************.
**** ******* -*****://***.***.***/********/********************
** *** **** ** ****** *** dining ** *********, *** ***** *** Senate **** ******* *** ***** **** bar ********* *** ************* ***** **** accepting ****** *** ***** **** *********. Hors *'******* *** ** *********. ** is "**** **** *** **** ** eat ******** ** ***** * *********," explains ********** ****** ***** ******, *** advises ********* *** ********* ***** ****** rules. ****** *****, *** ******* ********* decided, ***** ** ********* ** *** with **********.
******* * **** *** ***** **** the ****. ***, ****** ***** ***** for * ******* ********* *** *********
**** **** ** ***** ***** ** the *** ** *** ****. *** this ***:
**** **** ** *** **** ***, People *** *** ******* ********* ** Animals, ** ******-******* *****, ***** * separate ********* *** ********* *** ***** outside *** **** ***** ****** ********. It ***** *** *,*** ********** *** dogs. ****** *** **** *****'* ****, the **** ***** ** **** ** the ******. ******* ** **** ******** stars, *** ******-******* ***** ******** ******* models ** **** *** *** ****** dogs. *** ***** ***** ** ****** bikinis ********* ****** **** *******.
**** *** ****? *** * *** from **** ******* ** **** ** is * ***** **** ****.
***** ***!
* *** ******* **** **** *******.
"******* ****** ****** *** ****** *** Public ****** **************"
*** ** ** **** ***** ****?
*** ****** **** ***** **** ******* (1) *** *** *** (*) **** competition. ******** ********* ** **** *** buying ******* ** ****** *** ****** buyers (********** ********** ****) ***** **** the ****** *** ***** *********** **** do *** ****** ** **** ********* practices.
*** **** ******* *** ** *** merits *****.
** ***** * ************ ** ******* actually **** *** ***** ******? ***** on ** ** ****** * ******* to *** *** ******* **** * school ********* ******/****** *** **** ******. Also ******** ** **** ** **** did *** ** *** **** ***** violate ***** ******* ********** ** *** school. ****** **** *** **** ****** was ***** ** ** ** * VA ********.