A now ex-chief of compliance and enforcement at the Public Service Commission (PSC) has been fined after the discovery of images and videos on his work phone which showed him engaging in sexual activity with a co-worker during working hours.
Udeozo Ogbue, the former chief, was fined $10,000 by Washington D.C.’s Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA).
A spokesperson for PSC – an office that regulates Washington D.C.’s gas and electric utilities – informed Washington City Paper that Ogbue has not worked for the agency since May 27, but declined to comment when asked whether he was fired or resigned.
According to a document detailing the settlement between Ogbue and BEGA, the former Chief had worked for PSC for 17 years and had been issued a work phone.
At some point in 2024, Ogbue gave his work phone to the company’s IT department to swap it out for a new one, at which point the company became aware of 40 “sexually explicit” images and videos.
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The files showed Ogbue engaging in sexual activity with numerous women, including “images and videos of [Ogbue] performing sexual acts with one of his PSC colleagues.”
The ex-chief eventually admitted the phone, images, and videos belonged to him.
Per the settlement document, the video and multiple images were “date-stamped on weekdays at different times of the day,” suggesting the incidents took place while Ogbue was on the clock.
Under a summary of Ogbue’s violations, BEGA said Ogbue broke the office’s rule by “using government time or resources for other than official business.”
While he remained employed at PSC, the settlement required Ogbue to pay an initial fee of $4,000 before June 3 and subsequent $300 deductions from his bi-weekly paychecks of a $165,000 salary.
However, given he no longer works for PSC, Ogbue must now pay the full $10,000 fine before May 1, 2025. He had also been required to attend ethics training prior to his exit.
The settlement does not suggest the colleague Ogbue recorded the sexual activity with was his subordinate, and according to the Washington City Paper, BEGA has no other cases pending against any PSC worker.
While using company property to film sexual activity on company time is undoubtedly an ethics violation and would no doubt break the rules of every company handbook, Ogbue is not alone in engaging with a colleague in intimate activity.
According to a poll by Lovehoney, an adult toy company, 40% of American adults have admitted to having sex or relationships with a co-worker.