A disagreement between officeholders has accusations flying at the Platte County Administration Center in Platte City.
Last week, Platte County Recorder of Deeds Christopher Wright issued a scathing press release accusing Platte County Treasurer Rob Willard of wrongdoing, leading Platte County Auditor Kevin Robinson to step in to provide clarification. Willard responded early this week.
On Wednesday, July 3, Wright issued a release that began with stating he was, “Furious and is demanding answers after his office was informed Monday, June 25 that all of his receipted revenues that he turns over to the Treasurer’s Office daily, was misdirected and deposited into the wrong banks and bank accounts.”
“I do not understand how this could have gone on for six weeks and not be caught by the Treasurer,” Wright said in the release. “It’s ridiculous and an embarrassment to county government. The people have a right to know where their money and assets are, and I demand answers on behalf of my constituents.”
Wright took his concerns to Robinson, who Wright says, told him an audit of the Treasurer’s Office was already under way.
“It’s chaos over there and it’s ridiculous,” Wright said. “Ridiculous is the only word I can come up with, I asked for an audit and the auditor informed me one was already under way, so, I’m not the only one seeing his incompetence.”
Robinson responded with his own press release later that day, stating, “Funds are accounted for and there is no evidence any of the Recorder of Deeds or other offices daily receipts were deposited into the ‘wrong banks and bank accounts.’”
Robinson said there were daily receipts posted to the wrong general ledger account, but those were identified and corrected.
“An audit is under way of the office, not specifically the Treasurer,” Robinson said in his release. “This is a standard practice of the Auditor’s Office upon key personnel changes, which occurred earlier this year with the passing of the chief deputy, Robin Knotts. Audits of this nature ensure procedural compliance and reporting accuracy.”
Wright responded to Robinson’s response, stating Robinson’s release said he had made an “unfounded allegation of ‘mishandling funds.’
“Mishandling has a negative connotation that implies something illegal or malicious,” Wright said. “I have actually never alleged mishandling of funds. I stated that the county treasurer “misplaced” and “misdirected” – heavily implying he was incompetent, doesn’t do his job, doesn’t train his employees because I don’t think he knows how and has a lack of oversight in his own office. Never did I imply anything illegal or malicious.”
Willard responded Monday, July 8, after county offices were closed for a few days due to the Independence Day holiday. In his response, Willard said several clarifications and corrections needed to be addressed.
“The Recorder alleges that county funds were misdirected – an allegation that was refuted by the County Auditor in a separate release that very day,” Willard said. “The funds in question were not ‘misdirected’ or deposited in the wrong bank account. All funds have been and continue to be deposited in the correct financial institutions. The only mistake was a part of the receipt referring to the bank where the funds were deposited. A minor but regrettable mistake, but all county funds were accounted for at all times and receipted to the correct revenue lines.”
As mentioned by Robinson, the Auditor, in his release, the Treasurer’s Office’s chief deputy died in March.
“The loss has taken a personal toll on the members of the office and strained the capacity of staff,” Willard said. “In the wake of this loss, my office has worked even closer with the Auditor to ensure that county financial functions continue uninterrupted.”
He went on to say that, “Exploiting a tragedy like this for political points is unconscionable.”
Wright went further in his press release, encouraging Willard to resign from office.
“I have lost faith and confidence for Treasurer Willard to lead and govern,” Wright said. “In 2016 he fell for a scam that cost taxpayers $49,000, in April he allegedly receipted $2.5 million dollars and ‘misplaced’ it for several days, and now he has allowed my funds, the people’s money, to be misdirected for six weeks.”
Willard responded to the accusation regarding the allegedly ‘misplaced’ funds in his release.
“The Recorder’s press release referenced to a ‘misplaced’ $2.5 million,” Willard said. “The funds were not misplaced but rather invested in a United States Treasury note, pursuant to Missouri law. I am not sure where this disinformation came from.”
Wright accused Willard of a “track record of negligence, incompetence and embarrassments to this county.” He said returned receipts of revenues are never correct and take forever to get. Wright further said he has made Sunshine Law requests for documentation on the treasurer’s written policies on how he “monitors, receipts and deposits county checking account as well as how the Treasurer audits monthly financial reports.” He has also Sunshine requested a list of all county bank accounts, names of banking institutions and fees that are paid by the county. The recorder further Sunshine requested all email correspondences between the Auditor’s office and the Treasurer’s office employees for the last six months.
“The people of this county deserve better than this and regardless if it is deed fraudsters, scammers or incompetent elected officials, I will call these people out and do everything I can to protect the hardworking people of this county,” Wright said.
Willard, who also added the audit of his office has shown it is understaffed, said the Recorder’s release is purely political.
“It is telling that the Recorder’s statement was released a week after my statement regarding the jail tax appeared in several Platte County newspapers,” Willard said. “I understand that the Recorder is a close ally of the Commission and that the Commission disagrees with my position on this issue. It is discouraging that the response to policy disagreements is character assassination. I hope that this is an aberration and not a harbinger of the future of Platte County government. The citizens of Platte County deserve better.”
In his second press release, refuting Robinson’s response, Wright said he will forward information on the entire situation to Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick.