Senate Committee on Ethical Conduct Charges Blyden With Violation of Oath of Office; Senator Has 20 Days to Respond Ahead of Disciplinary Hearing

The Senate Committee on Ethical Conduct on Monday announced that Senator Marvin Blyden, a member of the 34th Legislature, has been charged with violating three rules governing the comportment of members of the body, including breaking his sworn oath of office.

"After a preliminary examination of the evidence, to include reviewing witness testimony, the 34th Legislature’s Committee on Ethical Conduct (CEC) has determined that grounds exist to move forward with a formal disciplinary hearing regarding the complaint that Senator Marvin A. Blyden is in violation of at least two of the rules governing the comportment of members of the body and breaking his sworn Oath of Office," stated the CEC in its release.

Mr. Blyden was served on Friday, October 8 with a letter outlining the charges against him, all of which are related to failing to quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19, the CEC release stated. Pursuant to the Legislature rules, he now has up to 20 days to respond to the CEC’s “Statement of Alleged Violations”.

“Whether Senator Blyden chooses to formally answer to these charges or not, a disciplinary hearing will be held, and the Committee will make a final recommendation to the full body as to what punitive or corrective actions, if any, are most appropriate,” CEC Chairman Sen. Milton Potter said. "It is important to note that as an elected member of the Legislature, Senator Blyden is entitled to, and will continue to receive a fair hearing on all charges.”

“As I have said before, as elected officials we must hold ourselves to a higher standard,” Vice Chairman Sen. Kenneth Gittens said. “We would like to address this matter as quickly as possible, but we must follow the procedural Rules of the 34th Legislature. The sooner Senator Blyden answers these charges, the sooner we can bring this matter to final resolution.”

The CEC has charged Mr. Blyden with breaking the Legislature’s rules for decorum and ethical conduct, as well as with violating the oath of office, in which elected officials swear to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the Virgin Islands. See the charging document here.