A barrister representing Donegal Councillor John O’Donnell has acknowledged that “the demarcation lines between his role as a businessman and a public representative were blurred”.
Mark O’Connell was referring to the councillor’s dealings with an undercover reporter that were broadcast on an RTÉ Investigates programme.
RTE report that he said the lines were “blurred” but this was as a result of “negligence and nothing more than that.” He said that councillor O’Donnell did not seek or accept money in this case.
Mark O’Connell, representing councillor O’Donnell, made his comments as his client was before the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPOC) today facing counts of breaching ethics legislation.
A complaint was made by Donegal County Council against him to SIPOC following the broadcast of the RTÉ Investigations Unit programme Standards in Public Office in December 2015.
Mr O’Donnell was secretly recorded on camera during the undercover investigation where a researcher, using the name Nina Carlson, posed as a representative of an investment company interested in possible wind farm ventures.
Audio and video recordings of conversations between the Independent Councillor and the undercover researcher have been played at the hearing.
To see full story see https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2018/0911/993063-sipo-councillors/
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