American Commitment president Phil Kerpen recently caught The Charlotte Observer dumping an article laying out North Carolina Democrat Kay Hagan’s connection to potentially serious mishandling of stimulus funds.
Here's the entire article, no longer available at the Observer's site, but instead resurrected from the Google cache.
Memo: Grant given to company run by Sen. Hagan's husband needs 'legal review'
State officials say a stimulus grant given to a company run by Kay Hagan's husband needs "further legal review."
WBTV obtained a memo written by the Department of Energy and Natural Resources which includes a letter to the state's auditor from last month. The memo states that NCDENR is looking into potential conflict of interest claims involving Senator Kay Hagan.
NCDENR says they have reviewed grant records and found conflict of issue claims warranted further legal review. Kay Hagan's husband manages one of the companies in question, who received an energy efficiency grant money in 2010.
According to the NC Department of Energy and Natural Resources, the grant agreement included provisions prohibiting family members from receiving incentive payments, “these rules require, among other things, that no one with direct lineal relations may receive incentive payment. For example, the mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter or a contractor working in this Program cannot receive Awards, contracts and subcontracts.”
The federal Department of Energy Assistance grant agreement had similar regulations that included members of the immediate family, partners, or people who has a financial interest in the firm selected for the grant.
The $250,644 grant in question went to JDC Manufacturing LLC. JDC Manufacturing is managed by John Hagan, David Hagan, and Charles “Chip” Hagan.
Chip Hagan is Senator Kay Hagan's husband.
Grant records show that other companies controlled by the Hagan family received money through this grant.
The NCDENR says the grant was for an energy-efficiency project at the company's building in Reidsville, NC. Plastics Revolution was the tenant of that building and the president of that company is John Hagan.
JDC Manufacturing hired SolarDyne, LLC to do the solar portion of the project, but SolarDyne was allegedly not the lowest bidder and is now registered to the NC Secretary of State as Green Street Power, LLC, managed by Tilden Hagan, Chip Hagan, and William Stewart.
Another subcontractor for solar instillation is owned by William Stewart and lists Tilden Hagan as an employee.
NCDENR sen the grant to the State Auditor's Office and the State Budget and Management Office to be reviewed on October 21 because the grant involved state funds.
If the State Budget and Management Office finds a conflict of interest connection between the funds and Senator Hagan, the issue will be sent on to the Attorney General and the SBI.
Here's the contact information for the Charlotte Observer's august executive team.
| Executive Team Member | Title | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Ann Caulkins | President and Publisher | (704) 358-5000 |
| Rick Thames | Editor/VP, News | (704) 358-5000 |
| Cheryl Carpenter | Managing Editor | (704) 358-5004 |
| Taylor Batten | Editorial Page Editor | (704) 358-5000 |
| Kelly Mirt | VP, Advertising | (704) 358-5333 |
| Jim Puryear | Regional VP / Audience Development | (919) 829-4727 |
| Richard Rinehart | VP, Operations | (704) 358-5686 |
| Charles Machalicky | Interactive Director | (704) 227-6313 |
| Risa McGrew | VP, Human Resources | (704) 358-5715 |
| Paul Baccellieri | VP, Finance | (704) 358-5844 |
Hat tip: BadBlue News.
This is also the newspaper that endorsed Hagan last week, basically saying that in her first term in the senate she had been useless as teats on a boar hog, but what the hey, let's give her another chance. She may get better.
ReplyDeleteThe exact phrasing was mine, but it is verbatim to the sentiment they endorsed her with.