Everybody gets off scot-free, so far
Quite a few people must have let out a sigh of relief today at learning DA Doug Henderson won't bring charges related to Project Homestead.
Not that there wasn't wrongdoing that led to the misuse of up to $500,000 in public money.
In Henderson's statement, released today, he cited the death of Homestead founder, president and ceo Michael King, poor record-keeping and faulty memories of former employees and board members as impediments to the SBI investigation.
Those "faulty memories" also may have been affected by self-interest.
What about the role of Greensboro elected officials in keeping the money flowing to Project Homestead, even after City Hall employees raised warnings?
Henderson noted that "Rev. King was a politically persuasive man." I get the distinct impression that the report would show which City Council members were unduly persuaded. Fortunately for them, the report is not being made public. Henderson said it was not his job to pursue that.
"I'm not here to embarrass people or hold them accountable on ethical issues," he said.
The report could come out anyway. Councilman Tom Phillips will ask the council to seek its release.
In addition, there are interested parties that can make a strong case for access to the report, Henderson said. Those include the bankruptcy trustee and individuals who bought houses from PH for more than they should have paid.
Henderson calls the outcome unsatisfying, saying it leaves him feeling a little empty. Some questions will never be answered, he added. Some probably could be answered better, but witnesses offerred "different recollections" about various events.
In other words, everyone and anyone who had a hand in misusing public funds and giving homebuyers less than they paid for is getting away with it -- in legal terms. King, of course, is beyond the reach of the law anyway.
If the SBI report sees the light of day, however -- as it should -- there might be some sort of reckoning yet.
Comments (8)
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I thought it was kind of funny that the Prosecutor was lamenting the poor record keeping as the reason they can't get enough evidence. NOTE TO ALL WHITE COLLAR CRIMINALS: In order to facilitate your future prosecution, please keep accurate and meticulous records of all your mis-appropriations, Thanks.
Posted on March 10, 2006 10:47 AM
Exactly. And having a bad memory doesn't hurt, either.
Posted on March 10, 2006 10:59 AM
King in his moment of anxiety, failed to take into effect the incompetency of the DA.
He was never gonna get charged.
According to DA Henderson, apparently all King had to do was say, "I don't recall" or comment, "What's an accounting record", and there would have been no evidence to convict him.
Who is minding the store?
King should have learned something from Earl Jone's failed nonprofit org. Provide no audit trail and you stay out of jail.
Posted on March 10, 2006 3:05 PM
I would think that this would be the very thing that the N&R should be screaming for full disclosure on , after all is it not the public's right to know what happened to the money and who was involved in the wrong doing? Or does discovery of wrong doing only pertain to a white police chief?
Given the coverup so far on this mess odds are nothing more will be heard about it. Appears that nothing changes in G'boro.
Posted on March 10, 2006 4:00 PM
Doug, if we are to take Henderson's comments at face value, then two conclusions are inevitable: that North Carolina is a backwoods state that does not have a legal structure to hold non-profit boards and employees, and the public officials that support them, accountable when public funds are misused; and that our city council was regularly giving the taxpayers' money to an organization that did not keep proper records.
Either of these two conclusions are worrisome.
It appears that there is no legal requirement to release the SBI report; but if it contained inadequate evidence to justify a prosecution, why did it take so long to review by two separate D.A.'s? I agree the report needs to be released.
Finally, I think the public needs to know about any discussions that may have taken place between Henderson and any individuals involved in directing the local political machine's endorsement.
Money was stolen from the poor.
Posted on March 10, 2006 4:57 PM
Earl Jones and his organization couldn't provide documentation for hundreds of thousands of dollars that the State as well as local orgs provided to him.
Skip Alston runs through over 1.5 million dollars in a failed apt complex that's funded by our tax dollars.
Homestead plays loose with our dollars as well.
At least with Homestead whose activites appeared egregious, why didn't the DA utilize the services of a good forsenic accounting firm that specializes in detecting fraudulent activities?
Posted on March 10, 2006 5:00 PM
why didn't the DA utilize the services of a good forsenic accounting firm that specializes in detecting fraudulent activities?* Jon
If the SBI report sees the light of day, however -- as it should -- there might be some sort of reckoning yet.* Doug
Must be election time again? It appears that the present DA has never heard of the Grand Jury process. You would be shocked to see how a Ham sandwich can remember where the Mayo Jar was store in the local frig at city hall. Demand a grand jury investigation Doug and watch folks and lawyer s run to new clients with the DA rushing to find the grand jury room before the primary date.
Posted on March 10, 2006 8:55 PM
And the money just continues to flow from the tax payers pockets to these criminals pockets via our city and county officials. One fraudulent scheme after another, and nothing is done about it. And nothing will be done about it if this is the outcome of investigations by and for local officialdom as this one certainly appears to be. This is a report the N&R should go after and print verbatim with ALL the names that are surely named. The flimsy excuse of poor accounting methods and poor memories is pure gray/black smoke!
Posted on March 11, 2006 1:19 PM