Wellesley fire chief pays $10,000 penalty for participation in son’s hiring

Wellesley Fire Chief Richard DeLorie paid a $10,000 civil penalty for violating conflict of interest law when he participated in hiring his son as a firefighter.

On Aug. 5, the State Ethics Commission shared the news in a release and described how DeLorie had participated in the process on multiple occasions. DeLorie, who has been with the department for 28 years, admitted to violating conflict of interest law, the commission said, and waived his right to contest the commission’s findings.

“The conflict of interest law prohibits public employees from using their official positions to provide themselves [and] others with unwarranted privileges or benefits that are not otherwise available,” the commission said. “DeLorie violated this prohibition by intervening as fire chief to have the hiring process halted and redirected to favor his son.”

In 2018, when Wellesley had three entry-level openings, DeLorie’s son passed the firefighter entrance exam. At the time, DeLorie officially told the Board of Selectmen (who appoints candidates) that his son had taken the exam, recused himself from participating in review or selection to fill those three seats, and designated the assistant fire chief to manage the hiring process.

According to the commission, a panel interviewed eight candidates, including DeLorie’s son, and selected three to recommend to the Board of Selectmen for appointment. DeLorie’s son was not among them.

“After DeLorie was informed that the interview panel did not select his son, he criticized the panel’s selections and instructed the assistant chief to halt the hiring process while he conferred with members of the Board of Selectmen,” the commission said. “DeLorie then contacted the chair and vice chair of the Board of Selectmen and criticized the hiring process and the candidates selected and praised the qualifications of his son and another unsuccessful candidate.”

DeLorie apparently emailed the panel’s vice chair with concerns that community involvement was not considered, and a scan of a 2003 news story showing DeLorie and his son, then 10-years-old, volunteering on Thanksgiving. The chair reminded DeLorie he had recused himself from the process. Following that, the commission said, DeLorie emailed the panel claiming the assistant chief and union had agreed to a second round of interviews, though the union had not.

“After the second round of interviews, which focused on community involvement, DeLorie’s son was among the three candidates selected to be recommended for appointment as firefighters,” the commission said. 

Then, however, another position became available, so the panel conducted a third round of interviews. DeLorie’s son was among the finalists, and the Board of Selectmen appointed him as a firefighter.

“Although DeLorie was not involved in the candidate interviews, he violated this prohibition by participating in the firefighter hiring process multiple times,” the commission said, “including by criticizing the interview panel’s initial candidate selections and the overall process, directing the assistant chief to halt the process, praising his son’s qualifications, and seeking support from the chair and vice chair of the Board of Selectmen for the appointment of his son.”

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