Would this D.A. be a democrap or a republican ??
Article published Apr 26, 2005
Audit: Winn DA spent $169,089
By Mandy M. Goodnight
mgoodnight@thetowntalk.com
(318) 487-6465
WINNFIELD -- Winn Parish District Attorney Terry Reeves rented limousines, ate a $600 meal and bought alcohol using public funds, according to findings by the Legislative Auditors Office.
The report released Monday details Reeves' travel expenses between January 2002 and June 2004 that carry a $169,089 price tag.
Reeves did not document many of the expenses and could not show how many people went on trips with him, the audit states. The report alleges that Reeves did not stay for the entire conferences and was not even registered to attend at least one that his office paid for.
"Some of the trips taken by Mr. Reeves appear to have been for more of a personal purpose than business in nature," the audit states.
Reeves countered in a response to the Legislative Auditor's report that the conferences and seminars attended by himself and law enforcement members helped improve the operation of the District Attorney's Office and lower prosecution costs. He also has returned thousands of dollars back into the District Attorney's Office account "to prevent any appearance of impropriety" and provided bank statements and brochures collected from seminars attended.
"All funds used for travel by the Office of the District Attorney are self-generated by the office with no tax dollars expended," Reeves wrote to auditors.
An official in Reeves' office said Monday that the District Attorney would not be in all day, but a spokesman for Reeves said the management's response sent to the Legislature Auditor's Office is Reeves' response to any questions from The Town Talk.
The audit, completed April 20, contends that Reeves possibly violated Louisiana law. The report was forwarded to the Attorney General's Office and the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana.
Kris Wartelle, Attorney General Charles Foti's spokeswoman, said the office could not confirm or deny an investigation or pending grand jury in the Winn Parish audit case.
Reeves' $169,089 travel expenses compares to an average of $10,000 spent by the Rapides Parish District Attorney's Office.
Rapides District Attorney James Downs spent nearly $9,000 for travel expenses over six years. The figure does not include payment for the travels of assistant district attorneys in the office. Downs said the other attorneys' expenses average to about $7,500 per year. Winn Parish has 17,000 people while Rapides Parish had a population of 126,337 people in the 2000 census.
The Winn Parish District Attorney's Office spends 12.3 times more than the District Attorney's Offices in Caldwell, LaSalle and Grant parishes, the reports state. Winn Parish spent 1.9 times more than parishes four times its size, like St. Charles and Lafouche parishes.
Reeves told auditors that his office provides more services, like domestic violence assistance, education/prevention on substance and alcohol abuse, youth violence prevention, than parishes of similar size
This is not the first time Reeves' office has come under fire for travel expenditures.
In 1999, an audit showed that Reeves and his staff arrived early for conferences, stayed late and purchased "excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages with and without meals." The report also noted that the District Attorney's Office paid expenses for non-employees.
Reeves vowed in 1999 to document the business purposes of expenditures and name the individuals participating.
Monday's audit detailed an office that had not changed.
Reeves admitted that he would "often forget to note in memorandum fashion all the information an auditor might require." He added that "I reject the premise that lack of 'proper' documentation automatically characterizes an expenditure as improper."
Reeves' office also paid for Police Chief Benji Phelps and Kelly Lawrence of Louisiana Probation and Parole to attend conferences and seminars.
A 2002 trip to Shreveport cost Winn Parish residents $861, paying for Reeves, Phelps and Lawrence to attend a party where Second District Court of Appeals Judge Harmon Drew's band played. Reeves said it was an opportunity to network.
A 2004 trip to Washington, D.C. cost $2,754, which included a limo service. Reeves and three guests took two limo trips, according to the company's invoices. Reeves told auditors that he and the office's Investigator Brandon Parker went to discuss law enforcement issues with the state's delegation. The other guest in the limo was not named.
He took a limo during another Washington, D.C. trip from the airport to a restaurant and then to a hotel Seven people were along for the ride even though records show that the District Attorney's Office paid for a taxi during the same time to go from the airport to a hotel. Reeves, Phelps, Lawrence and Parker were the only ones listed as being a part of the trip even though Reeves' office paid for Parker to take two trips from Winnfield to Baton Rouge when he was supposed to be in Washington, D.C., the audit alleges.
The audit details meals that cost $500 and $600 with no listing who attended the meal and what its purpose was. Hotel rooms were booked for Phelps and Lawrence, who are not Reeves' employees, and cars were rented during conferences and driven hundreds of miles each day.
The report also alleges that the District Attorney's Office applied for more than $100,000 in loans without the approval of the state Bond Commission.
Reeves told auditors that his office's budget woes is due to the Winn Parish Police Jury not providing funds to pay for expenditures as required by law. The District Attorney's Office and Police Jury have crossed ties on funding over the years. Reeves threatened to sue but withdrew the litigation after the Police Jury refused to increase his more than $200,000 budget. The jury requested an audit of Reeves' spending.
Police Juror John Garrett said Monday that the Police Jury does not have enough money to provide all the funds Reeves' request. He said the jury has to keep other departments operating, like the road crews.
The juror said he would be interested to see what happens next with the audit. Reeves has vowed to amend the travel policy, cease the purchase of alcohol until an opinion is rendered by a court or the Attorney General's Office and have his fee accountant review expenses. He is asking for an Attorney General's opinion on paying for non-employees' travel expenses.
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