Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 268A, § 6 (2026)

Financial interest of state employee, relative or associates; disclosure

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 6. (a) Except as permitted by this section, any state employee who participates as such employee in a particular matter in which to his knowledge he, his immediate family or partner, a business organization in which he is serving as officer, director, trustee, partner or employee, or any person or organization with whom he is negotiating or has any arrangement concerning prospective employment, has a financial interest, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000, or by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years, or in a jail or house of correction for not more than 2 1/2 years, or both.

Any state employee whose duties would otherwise require him to participate in such a particular matter shall advise the official responsible for appointment to his position and the state ethics commission of the nature and circumstances of the particular matter and make full disclosure of such financial interest, and the appointing official shall thereupon either

(1) assign the particular matter to another employee; or

(2) assume responsibility for the particular matter; or

(3) make a written determination that the interest is not so substantial as to be deemed likely to affect the integrity of the services which the commonwealth may expect from the employee, in which case it shall not be a violation for the employee to participate in the particular matter. Copies of such written determination shall be forwarded to the state employee and filed with the state ethics commission by the person who made the determination. Such copy shall be retained by the commission for a period of six years.

[There is no subsection (b).]

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 10 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1976–2023 · leading case: Craven v. State Ethics Comm'n, 454 N.E.2d 471 (Mass. 1983).

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Craven v. State Ethics Comm'n, 454 N.E.2d 471 (Mass. 1983). · cites it 3× “On March 10 and 11, 1980, an evidentiary hearing was held before the chairman of the commission. On June 18, 1980, the commission issued its decision and order, in which the chairman participated.”

Commonwealth v. Cola, 468 N.E.2d 1094 (Mass. App. Ct. 1984). · cites it 9× “" [1] A second indictment, founded on G.L.c. 268A, § 6( a ), charged the defendant with participating, while a State employee, in a particular matter in which, to his knowledge, he and his immediate family had a financial interest.”

Anzalone v. Admin. Off. of the Trial Court, 932 N.E.2d 774 (Mass. 2010). “, G. L. c. 268A, § 6 (inter alia, prohibiting State employee from participating as employee in decisions involving matter in which his or her immediate family has financial interest); G.”

Warner Ins. v. Comm'r of Ins., 548 N.E.2d 188 (Mass. 1990). “Acting- pursuant to G. L. c. 268A, § 6, the Governor assigned all nonministerial responsibilities of the Commissioner to the first deputy until such time as a new Commissioner was sworn in.”

Saccone v. State Ethics Comm'n, 480 N.E.2d 13 (Mass. 1985). “Moreover, the commission found a violation of G. L.c. 268A, § 6, a provision over which the commission does have jurisdiction.”

Nelson v. Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc., 387 N.E.2d 589 (Mass. 1979). “G. L. c. 268A, §§ 6, 6A. See Graham v. McGrail, 370 Mass.”

Varga v. Bd. of Reg. of Chiropractors, 582 N.E.2d 492 (Mass. 1991). “*305 In November, 1989, before the board had passed on Varga’s recusal motion, the chief of the legal division of the State Ethics Commission sent to counsel for the board an informal opinion that Steingisser could participate in the Varga proceedings, without violating G. L. c.…”

Richmond v. Richmond, 352 N.E.2d 898 (Mass. 1976). “G. L. c. 268A, § 6. There is nothing to show how the “continuing financial relationship” depended “in part upon the outcome of the litigation.”

Comtois v. State Ethics Comm'n (Mass. App. Ct. 2023). “191, 201-202 (1983) (organization’s intent to pay trust of which members of State employee’s immediate family were beneficiaries involved financial interest for purposes of G. L. c. 268A, § 6, State employee equivalent of § 19 municipal employee provision); Sciuto v.”

Rcn Becocom LLC v. Comm'r of Revenue & Others., 100 Mass. App. Ct. 802 (Mass. App. Ct. 2022). “See G. L. c. 268A, § 6 (recognizing appointing authority's option to "make a written determination that the interest is not so substantial as to be deemed likely to affect the integrity of the services which the [C]ommonwealth may expect from the employee, in which case it shall…”

— Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 268A, § 6(a) — 1 case

Commonwealth v. Cola, 468 N.E.2d 1094 (Mass. App. Ct. 1984). “" [1] A second indictment, founded on G.L.c. 268A, § 6( a ), charged the defendant with participating, while a State employee, in a particular matter in which, to his knowledge, he and his immediate family had a financial interest.”

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