To the Editor:
I am very disturbed by Leighton Newlin’s letter that appeared in the Wednesday, June 11, issue of Town Topics [“’Defending’ Historic Princeton? From Whom, and From What?”]. The substance of the letter is not my principal concern. Almost all of it is something that can be challenged and easily refuted. Rather, my concern is about the ethics of an elected official taking such a biased, public stance on a matter that is still open.
Perhaps I’m prejudiced, because as a member of the legal profession, I’m held to a Code of Professional Responsibility that prohibits even the “appearance of impropriety” — i.e. any action that creates the appearance of bias in order not to destroy the public trust — in any matter in which he or she is involved.
Even if elected officials are not held to a codified standard of conduct, at the very least they owe a duty to the electorate to represent all residents, not only one interest group. Not to do so, raises an issue of unfair influence on a matter that still has an administrative hurdle to clear with the Planning Board and is now before the court for adjudication.
Councilman Newlin’s constituents deserve better in order to begin to restore the public trust.