WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - The Watertown Ethics Board has cleared Council Members Lisa Ruggiero and Cliff Olney of any ethical violations.

An ethics complaint was filed on November 18th by Mayor Sarah Pierce and Council Members Robert Kimball and Ben Shoen. Ruggiero and Olney were accused of forwarding and “blind carbon copying” city emails to a local developer.

The ethics board met Friday morning, and gave the opinion the charges against Ruggiero were inconclusive. Chairman Stephen Jennings said, “the board of ethics finds no conclusive evidence for a complaint filed on November 18th of 2025, whereby Council Member Lisa A. Ruggiero violated the code of ethics.”

As for Olney, the board found the evidence against him was also not conclusive. However, the board did find the 30-plus emai

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