Ethical Behavior in Public Administration: A Case Study of Former Scranton Mayor William L. Courtright
Overview
This case study examines the unethical behavior and corruption charges against former Scranton Mayor William L. Courtright, who was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for extortion, bribery, and criminal conspiracy. The paper analyzes the ethical principles and professional codes violated by Courtright's pay-to-play scheme and discusses the implications for public administration integrity and governance.
What this case study covers
- Introduction establishing ethical behavior as integral to public administration
- Case study summary of Courtright's conviction, sentencing, and FBI investigation
- Analysis of violated ethical principles including integrity, honesty, and transparency
- Discussion of disregarded professional codes from the American Society of Public Administration
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Public Administration Case of Ethical Behavior
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Public Administration Case of Ethical Behavior
Introduction
Ethical behavior is an integral part of public administration. Public administrators must have sound knowledge of what they are expected to do once they assume their administration roles. However, many public servants go against their oaths of office and behave unethically. Among the public servants who have behaved unethically is former Scranton Mayor William L. Courtright, who was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for corruption charges. Several principles, professional codes were violated, and possibly a conflict between objective and subjective responsibility.
Case Study Summary
William L. Courtright was Scranton's City mayor in Pennsylvania until 2 July 2019. The US Attorney General announced that Courtright, 63, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment on 2 October 2020. The sentence resulted from corruption charges in the United States District Court and judgment by Justice Malachy E. Mannion. The Mayor pled guilty on 2 July 2020 for three criminal felonies of extortion, bribery, and criminal conspiracy. The court fined Courtright $250000 and a probation officer to supervise him three years after being released from prison. Courtright resigned from his position as Scranton City Mayor on 1 July 2019 following an investigation into his corruption allegations outlined in the country's constitution (Nelson & Stenberg, 2017). The FBI carried out an undercover operation to unearth the Mayor's unscrupulous operations and unethical behavior, leading to his imprisonment.