Press Release: 3/19/2026
State Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Division Alleges Former Holyoke City Councilor David Bartley Violated Conflict of Interest Law
Commission found reasonable cause to believe Bartley represented private parties in real estate matters involving the city
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
3/18/2026
MEDIA CONTACT
Gerry Tuoti, Deputy Chief, Public Education and Communications Division
Phone
Call Gerry Tuoti, Deputy Chief, Public Education and Communications Division at (617) 371-9533
Online
BOSTON — The State Ethics Commission’s Enforcement Division issued an Order to Show Cause today alleging that former Holyoke City Councilor David Bartley violated the conflict of interest law. The Order alleges that while serving as a city councilor, Bartley represented private parties in real estate matters involving the city and failed to comply with the law’s mandatory training and education requirements. By filing the Order, the Enforcement Division initiated an adjudicatory proceeding against Bartley.
The Order to Show Cause states that in 2023-2025, while he was a city councilor, Bartley represented his private law clients in four real estate matters in which the City of Holyoke was a party or had a direct and substantial interest. The Order alleges that:
- In 2023, while the Housing Court was considering the city’s petition to enforce the State Sanitary Code at a Holyoke property, Bartley, as attorney for the late owner’s heirs, communicated with the city’s attorney regarding a continuance of the petition and was paid by the heirs upon the sale of the property;
- After the city referred a Holyoke property to the Attorney General’s Office regarding State Sanitary Code violations, Bartley responded to a January 2024 demand letter from the Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the property owner;
- In February 2024, Bartley represented a client who had purchased a property from the city in 2019 which included a reverter clause allowing the city to take the property back if it was not developed within five years. As attorney for the property owner, Bartley communicated with a prospective buyer’s counsel in connection with a request for a waiver of the reverter clause; and
- From September 2024 until February 2025, Bartley represented a deceased Holyoke property owner’s heirs and, as their attorney, communicated with city employees concerning the condition of the property and State Sanitary Code violations.
The conflict of interest law prohibits municipal employees from acting as agent or attorney for anyone other than the municipality, or doing paid work for anyone other than the municipality, in connection with matters in which the municipality is a party or has a direct and substantial interest. The Order alleges Bartley violated these prohibitions.
In addition, the Order alleges that Bartley, despite being a city councilor since 2012, did not complete the State Ethics Commission’s conflict of interest law online training program until 2025, and violated the law’s requirement that public employees complete the online training program within 30 days of becoming a public employee and every two years thereafter.
Pursuant to the Commission’s Enforcement Procedures, the Enforcement Division files an Order to Show Cause against a subject following the Commission’s finding of reasonable cause to believe the subject violated the conflict of interest law. Before filing the Order to Show Cause, the Enforcement Division gives the subject the opportunity to resolve the matter through a disposition agreement. The Commission will schedule a public hearing on the allegations against Bartley within 90 days.
The Commission is authorized to impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each violation of the conflict of interest law.
The Commission encourages public employees to contact the Commission’s Legal Division at 617-371-9500 for free advice if they have any questions regarding how the conflict of interest law may apply to them.