Grambling’s Illegal Drafts

Bryant Received Funds Before Attorney General Said ‘NO’

Grambling Council Member Roosevelt Bryant Jr. asked the Louisiana State Attorney General for an opinion as to whether he could be paid by Grambling for monies The City would have paid an insurance company for his coverage while he was not covered.   Allow us to repeat that.

According to the Attorney General, Bryant said he was unaware he was entitled to certain employee insurance benefits as a Council Member and, missed out on being covered for a period of time.  Bryant wanted to know if he could receive the money Grambling normally would have paid the insurance company for himself while he was not insured.  Let’s try that one more time.

Apparently, Bryant believed he was entitled to the portion of premiums that would have been paid by the City of Grambling to the insurance company had he been enrolled in the employment benefit insurance programs over the previous two years.

On April 29, 2009 in Opinion 09-0004 the Louisiana State Attorney General responded to Bryant’s inquiry as follows: “the insurance contract must be in existence before the payments are authorized, and past payments may not be reimbursed as this would violate La. Const. art. VII Sec. 14(A).”

However, the following copy of a Grambling bank account draft signed by Council Member / Mayor Pro Temp Edward Jones and the Grambling Clerk Pamela Stringfellow indicates from the $11,937.55 that was withdrawn, over $5,200 was designated to Roosevelt Bryant who is running for re-election to the Council.  Edward Jones is running to become Grambling’s next mayor.

 

Grambling Bank Draft 1 of 8

 

Louisiana Law: ‘Only The Mayor Signs Checks’

According to Louisiana statue and many State Attorney General opinions, only the Mayor is authorized to write drafts on behalf of municipalities incorporated under and governed by the Lawrason Act; the same Lawrason Act that Council Member Bryant repeatedly displays distaste for publicly during Council Meetings.

Council Member Bryant spoke about the Lawrason Act which gives the Mayor of municipalities under that rule the legal authority to be sole signor on municipal checks as follows:

“The Lawrason Act gives her the authority  to sign a check, but is it good sense? Everything is not good sense!  I don’t care if it is the law, it’s wrong!  This is the only stupid state where one person can have that power to go to a bank and do whatever they want to do.  That’s unreasonable!” said Council Member Bryant.

A brief 1 minute segment of incumbent candidate Council Member Bryant’s statement above is available here:

Even more fascinating is how Bryant makes this statement more than a year after he received $5,200 of illegally withdrawn funds from Grambling’s bank account himself.

Grambling Mayor Martha Andrus says she did not authorize this withdrawal of taxpayer money on behalf of Roosevelt Bryant, City Accountant Willie Mabry or attorney Rick Candler (who is NOT Grambling’s attorney).

In our opinion, this document is hard proof that neither Jones nor Stringfellow waited for the Attorney General’s ruling before taking just under $5,200 of taxpayer monies at will behind the Mayor’s back to pay Bryant and, Bryant did not wait for the Attorney General’s opinion before receiving it.

Smoke

The Grambling Council has been very vocal accusing Mayor Andrus of financial mismanagement and incompetence month after month, council meeting after council meeting and in the media.  Meanwhile Andrus has made repeated requests to the authorities for a full investigation to prove she’s innocent.

The internet technology specialist and website developer for Grambling, Sheree Rabon was working very hard to seal security breaches in Grambling’s computer system and bring this kind of transparency for all Grambling citizens to view pertinent public record documents for themselves.  She too has been defamed and discredited by both the Council and local media, saying among other things that her fees are outrageous.

Unfortunately many don’t understand the extensive work involved or or have a clue as to the actual cost of such services.  Grambling’s website was being built to provide transparency of public documents and meet federal security standards.  According to Rabon, Edward Jones on behalf of the Council sued Rabon to stop her efforts and, to get back the money she has been paid for services performed.  In the process Jones may have just opened up Grambling to serious liability repercussions.

Mayor Pro Temp & Clerk Usurp Mayor, Removed $23,000 Illegally

Despite the smokescreens and dramatic distractions, none of these efforts can prevent the citizens of Grambling or anybody else from reviewing public records to uncover the truth.  While tracking the monies illegally paid to Bryant, The Fount discovered a trail of additional illegal drafts signed by mayoral candidate Edward Jones and Clerk Pam Stringfellow.  These bank drafts are public records of eight illegal withdrawals during the first quarter of 2009.

 

Grambling Bank Draft 2 of 8

 

 

Grambling Bank Draft 3 of 8

 

 

Grambling Bank Draft 4 of 8

 

 

Grambling Bank Draft 5 of 8

 

 

Grambling Bank Draft 6 of 8

 

 

Grambling Bank Draft 7 of 8

 

 

Grambling Bank Draft 8 of 8

 

These documents back the Mayor’s claims of her authority being usurped and day-to-day operations at City Hall being interfered with.  They also reveal what has not been discussed much in the media or what an audit would reveal:  Jones and Stringfellow illegally removed over $23,000 from the Grambling bank account between January 22, 2009 and March 16, 2009.

While it is still unclear as to why attorney Rick Candler or Willie Mabry (who was fired at the time) were being paid, a judge ruled against Jones and Stringfellow in court last year for these illegal withdrawals.

Do We Really Need An Audit?  “Naaaahh…”

Among other things, these documents indicate Council Member / Mayor Pro Temp Edward Jones and Clerk Pam Stringfellow paid City Accountant Willie Mabry for services he did not perform while being fired.

Where is the righteous indignation and outrage previously displayed by the Grambling Council for misappropriation of public funds and for the 2009 financial books not being ready for an audit so late in 2010?  Is the Grambling Mayor really what she has been painted out to be?  Does it make sense for a guilty person to request a full investigation?

Seeing as how the results of audits become public record documents, could these financial discrepancies and disregard for the law be some of the reasons why there is very little pressure being placed on the Grambling City Accountant Willie Mabry by the Grambling Council to have the 2009 books ready for an AUDIT just before this year’s ELECTION?  What else will a full forensic audit reveal?

The Grambling Mayor requested for a full investigation of everybody handling money in her administration (including herself) by the Louisiana State Legislative Auditor’s Office for the fourth time months ago to no avail thus far.

After haggling with the Grambling Council and Grambling Attorney about the selection of an auditor all year, this past August the Mayor and Council finally agreed on Hulsey, Harwood & Sheridan LLC from Monroe to perform Grambling’s 2009 audit.

After 8 full months to prepare for last year’s audit, one might think the Grambling City Accountant would have the books ready, but the auditor made two attempts to conduct the audit in September and was unable to perform that service. 

Mabry, who possibly left town for more than one reason was unavailable for questioning at the Grambling Council Meeting last night (October 7, 2010) to explain why the books for 2009 still aren’t ready for the auditors to do their job.

Show Grambling The Money!!!

The Louisiana State Attorney General ruled it was a violation of state law for Bryant to receive any moneys for insurance premiums Grambling would have paid to an insurance company had he been covered for employee benefits.

According to the first draft above, Bryant who was arrested last month for driving on a suspended license was paid just over $5,200 by Mayor Pro Temp Edward Jones and Clerk Pam Stringfellow; money that never should have left Grambling’s bank account.

The  Grambling Attorney Jim Colvin Jr.’s bill shows that the matter of Bryant arranging to repay that money cost the Grambling taxpayers just under $200 more:

 

Colvin's Charges To Advise Bryant On Repayment Of Illegally Received Funds

 

If and indeed such an agreement for Bryant to repay Grambling’s $5,200 was made this time last year, Grambling hasn’t seen a penny of it yet.  Grambling Mayor Martha Andrus said, “We certainly have no records of Bryant repaying a thing.”

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This information is another example of what any and every caring American citizen may uncover and learn first-hand by examining widely available public record documents; no investigation license or skills required, just ask.

While not all news entities are slanted, often times all is not what it appears to be as bogus and biased claims, misinformation and, the strategic non-disclosure of vital information are COMMON practices in the media.

Please feel free and be encouraged to perform your own due diligence. You have a right to know.  Otherwise you will only know what others want you to know.

Copyright 2010 –the Fount

All Rights Reserved

While tracking the monies illegally paid to Bryant, The Fount discovered a trail of additional illegal drafts signed by mayoral candidate Edward Jones and Clerk Pam Stringfellow.

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