Mount Vernon Comptroller Maureen Walker abused her power and engaged in misconduct when she failed to pay invoices to a law firm or to cooperate in a City Council investigation, Inspector General Harry Stokes charged in a report yesterday.

In the report, Stokes says that Walker obstructed a City Council investigation, gave misleading information, and had discrepancies in financial statements, among other allegations. The report can be found here: Inspector General’s Report

Walker has denied the allegations in the report. Here is a letter she wrote to Mayor Clinton Young yesterday following the release of the report.

To: Clinton I Young, Mayor

From: Maureen Walker, CPA, Comptroller

I am once again writing you to set up a meeting to discuss the role of the Inspector General in the City of Mount Vernon. This is my second request. Please refer to my letter of November 10, 2008 (attached). This request is as a result of a document released by the Inspector General dated January 12, 2009 entitled “Investigation of Allegations of Abuse.”

It appears the Inspector General was appointed by the mayor with specific instructions to “attack” the City Comptroller. After a short time on the job, he initiated an “OIG Report of PILOTS” which was done solely on my testimony at a City Council hearing. The “audit” was done without any “first hand” investigation and contained numerous untruths and inaccuracies. The conclusion arrived at in that report was not supported by facts but represented the political views of the Inspector General.

The recently released report dated January 13, 2009 is riddled with inaccuracies, untruths, unfounded allegations and is basically a political document that appears to be the work of a desperate individual who is preparing to wage a run for public office against a political opponent.

As an example of these unfounded allegations, the Inspector General reported that the Comptroller knowingly supplied an inaccurate Supplemental 2007 Financial Statement to the State. The Comptroller supplies the state with an audited IDA financial report each year. This report is prepared by an IDA contracted CPA firm using financial information provided by the Comptroller. The Comptroller does not prepare or provide the state with Supplemental Schedules as alleged by the Inspector General.

The Inspector General who is being paid by the taxpayers of Mount Vernon does not appear to be performing any duties and/or functions associated with his office. The numerous situations in Mount Vernon City Government that warrant his attention are being ignored while he engages in a cheap political witch hunt that apparently targets one individual in City Hall: the City Comptroller. The Inspector General has compromised his office and his integrity to the point that I am of the firm belief that he is incapable of performing the duties and functions for which he was appointed.

As the independent chief financial officer of the City of Mount Vernon, I can understand the objective in using the Inspector General to go after the ONLY elected official in City government who acts as a means of “checks and balances” on behalf of the residents of our City.”

As I continue to examine the Inspector General’s report, I will be responding in detail to each and every one of his politically motivated and unfounded allegations.