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TEA board employee fired over misuse of state credit card Friday, Sep 8, 2006 By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - An employee of the Arkansas Transitional Employment Board was fired after it was discovered that she used the agency's credit card to purchase personal items totaling $27,052, a legislative panel heard Thursday. Demetrice Burke, the board's former outreach monitor, also received reimbursement for $3,059 for travel expenses that a state audit deemed "very suspicious." The information, obtained during an internal compliance review by state auditors, has been turned over to the Pulaski County prosecutor's office, state auditor Ron Burch reported to the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee's Standing Committee on State Agencies. Also Thursday, the auditors reported that six Carroll County justices of the peace were improperly paid per diem rates totaling $5,455 for attending subcommittee meetings or conferences between Jan. 1, 2002 and Dec. 31, 2005. The Quorum Court had never adopted an ordinance authorizing the payments, auditors said. The officials have since repaid the money to the county and the Quorum Court recently adopted an ordinance allowing for the per diem payments. Auditors also reported that a review found no wrong doing in how the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus spent some public funds. Jessica Caldwell, executive director of the TEA Board, told lawmakers that Burke used her state credit card to purchase personal items at department stores, to purchase meals and to buy gasoline for her personal car. Burch said the purchases occurred between March 2003 and last April. Caldwell said she and Burke's supervisor failed to properly check the credit card expenses Burke submitted. She said the agency has taken steps to improve monitoring of credit card purchases. Burch said the agency was unable to substantiate the business purpose for the expenditures Burke submitted for travel reimbursements. During the executive committee meeting, lawmakers were presented a letter from Legislative Auditor Charles Robinson indicating that the Legislative Black Caucus had received $7,340 from the Arkansas Minority Health Commission. State auditors were asked to look into the payments in May after questions were raised about how the money was spent. The audit determined the money was used to pay for sponsorships for various events hosted by the Black Caucus, two separate scholarship awards dinners, one reception for term-limited caucus members and the group's annual retreat in August 2004. Also Thursday, the Standing Committee on Educational Institutions was told that Frank Anthony, superintendent of the Pine Bluff School District, had received $1,000 a month from the district for an annuity account since July 1, 1999, while also participating in the Teacher Deferred Retirement Option Plan. State law prohibits contributions to such retirement plans on behalf of employees who are also participating in the TDROP program. Anthony said he began receiving the monthly payments before the law went into effect. After discovering the problem, Anthony said, the Pine Bluff School Board stopped depositing the money into his annuity July 1. He said the $1,000 monthly payment is now part of his regular salary. He said he preferred the annuity payment because it was tax free. |
