Washington city gov't insider dealing - will there be consequences?

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Washington city gov't insider dealing - will there be consequences?

Published: Monday, October 2nd, 2023 @ 1:15 pm
By: John Steed ( More Entries )

The law is very clear that when a government body is making a decision on property or contracts belonging to or involving a member of that body, that member is not supposed to participate in making that decision. A few years ago, a Hyde County commissioner was convicted in criminal court when he violated this restriction concerning a contract he had with the county.

Here in Washington, the city council voted to use city taxpayer's money to buy two substandard lots and hand them over to the Washington Housing Authority. The two lots were owned by Councilman Richard Brooks, although the rest of the council was not told that at the time. Instead of recusing himself from the discussion and vote, as are required by law, Brooks not only voted for it but actually made the motion to make the purchase.

There were a number of other aspects of the deal that were disadvantageous to the city, and the votes of the other council members reflect their position on other aspects of what was a bad deal for the city. But Brooks got his majority and his land sale.

There is one other city official who was almost certain to have known the full story when this scam went down, and that is Mayor Donald Sadler. That is because Mayor Sadler had appointed his wife as a member of the Washington Housing Authoity, and she would have known who owned the lots in question that they were seeking. Brooks and Sadler are close political allies, and Brooks has been little more than Sadler's rubberstamp as a council member.

This corrupt transaction needs to be fully investigated and appropriate sanctions, whether civil, erhical, or criminal applied to the public officials who disregarded the public trust. The voters can cast their own verdict on corruption at city hall by removing Brooks and Sadler from their city offices this November.

All city council seats plus the mayor will be up for election November 7. Click here to see the information on that election.

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Comments

Bubba said:

( October 5th, 2023 @ 8:37 am )

Over half a million dollars in corruption right here in Washington and Brooks and Sadler are in the middle of it. Something definitely needs to be done. Brooks needs to give the money he got in this scam back to the taxpayers.

Gary Ceres said:

( October 4th, 2023 @ 8:53 pm )

The fact is that Mr Brooks also made the motion to move $580,000 out of the Washington general fund over to the Housing Authority. He should have asked to be recuse himself which he did not which is incredibly unethical. The fact that he profited off of these Lots at the expense of taxpayers is shameful. It's also why I consider all the other candidates running to be competitors but I consider Mr Brooks to be an opponent although I've never actually had a conversation with Mr Brooks but anybody who abuses a position of power to profit monetarily should not hold on to that power.

I'll also note that it is now 78 days that the Washington Housing Authority whose commission is headed by Alice Sadler the mayor's wife whom he appointed has not complied with the Freedom of Information request I asked for receipts of trips taken by the Washington Housing Authority in the last few years as well as how the money was spent that Mr Brooks made the motion to move over to the Housing Authority as an alleged loan which has never been paid back and likely never will. The only way to correct this situation is to get a new Council.

Concerned Taxpayer said:

( October 3rd, 2023 @ 7:54 pm )

The first step is an indictment. This would seem a pretty simple case to prove. The minutes would show the improper actions of the elected official, and the deeds and closing documents would show whose property it was that was being bought. The one that would be tricky to prove would be the mayor because he and his wife would likely plead the 5th as to what they knew. There would be too much documentary evidence for that to save the councilman.

The problem is getting a proper investigation because too many in high places look the other way when it is Democrats involved in hanky panky. Our state DOJ is just as politicized as Biden's DOJ, for example.

Big Bob said:

( October 3rd, 2023 @ 6:34 pm )

yeah, no one is getting locked up with out evidence, a trial and conviction.

Bubba said:

( October 3rd, 2023 @ 5:14 pm )

Lock 'em up! Corruption should not be tolerated.

Stan Deatherage said:

( October 3rd, 2023 @ 8:51 am )

Bubba: You are right in that this part of the Conflict of Interest statute is the most basic and integral of directives of what an elected official MUST NOT do.

Then, if it is actually true that there was a 3/2 vote in the affirmative, and it would NOT have passed unless this council person had not literally self-delt himself this benefit, that benefit would not have conveyed otherwise to him.

Does not the City of Washington not have an attorney to help this process along in a proper manner compliant with the NC General Statutes?

If an attorney was present, this should not have happened. This makes me think that something this basically foul could not have happened, so I wish to withhold judgement until I know for sure.

Could someone get me the official minutes of that vote? I will publish them here for comments, and "we shall see who is swimming naked."

Bubba said:

( October 3rd, 2023 @ 8:07 am )

Lock 'em up! Corruption should not be tolerated.

Rino Hunter said:

( October 2nd, 2023 @ 7:06 pm )

Here is how Washington politicians stood on that 10% tax increase:
FOR:
Mayor Donald Sadler
Councilmembers Richard Brooks, Mike Renn, and Lou Hodges
AGAINST:
Councilmembers Bobby Roberson and William Pitt

Voters should take that into account when they vote this year.

Renn is not running this year and Roberson is challenging Sadler for Mayor.