Patricia Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman the Ulster County Board of Ethics has fined county Legislator Joseph Maloney $7,000 for three violations of the county Ethics Law. The board also recommended Maloney be suspended for a period of three months. In a nine-page decision dated Dec. 31, the board found the first-term legislator was "either unwilling or unable to differentiate between ethical and unethical conduct." The board further said it would waive the $7,000 fine if the Saugerties Democrat agreed to resign by Jan. 10. Maloney said this week he will not step down, and he vowed to appeal the ruling, calling it “outrageous.” He accused County Executive Michael Hein of orchestrating the decision by “flexing his corruption muscle.” The board of Ethics acted after receiving a complaint alleging Maloney violated the county Ethics Law by voting in committee on a labor agreement that covered his wife’s employment; by voting for that same contract in the full Legislature; for appearing before a legislative committee to lobby for more resources for the county Comptroller’s Office, where his wife works as a senior auditor; for introducing legislation to allow the comptroller to appoint a member to the Board of Ethics; and, for arguing in a committee meeting that the Comptroller’s Office should not be involved in an audit of health services at the county jail. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.