I once worked with a local councillor whilst serving on several school governing bodies. This particular councillor always advertised in the local papers how he would not send Christmas cards but would donate to local charities instead and listed the charities and the amounts he would donate! One year, several of the schools received letters from his wife asking for nominations for an award and giving details of how to nominate. If they didn't respond, another letter, from his wife, was sent. I personally saw several of these, reminding how a nomination could be made. He got his OBE. A few months later he was being held in police custody for taking bribes for building permissions to be passed. He was chairman of that committee. I rest my case. Incidentally, his safe apparently had several envelopes containing bank notes from folks who had recently requested and been allocated Building permissions.