FOX16 REPRINT-Audit: PCSSD money wasted on everything from alcohol to valet parking
 | Reported by: Kelly Dudzik Email: kdudzik@fox16.com Last Update: 5/15 8:12 am |
A state legislative audit committee released the report, after a year-long investigation, detailing hundreds of thousands of dollars misused by the district.
"Do you think this is embarrassing for the district?" asked FOX16's Kelly Dudzik.
"Absolutely. Absolutely," responded PCSSD Board President Tim Clark.
Board members spent the money on a Broadway play, booze and one, who lives in Little Rock, paid $320 to stay at the Peabody, and paid for valet parking.
And, with federal aid meant to help homeless children after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, someone spent more than three-hundred dollars on women's underwear and almost two-hundred on two pair of Nikes.
"The dollar amount kind of shocked me. The fact that we were able to catch Mr. Diemer," says Clark.
Diemer, who took off when we tried confronting him a year ago, pleaded guilty to a federal charge. He's accused of using district money to buy more than $400,000 worth of goods, including a sea doo and a metal garage.
We first told you about the audit a year ago when Clark called for it. He started asking the CFO questions and kept getting the runaround.
"He was a good man, but I could never get a straight answer out of him. There were a lot of red flags," he says.
So what's next? The district tells us it's already talking to its attorneys to make sure the money is returned.
As for Clark's colleagues?
"They need to deal with the district, and determine whether the funds are reimbursable. If they're not reimbursable, they need to pay them back."
Some board members already have.
So what happened to Diemer? He's out on bond. Clark tells us his sentencing is next month.
Former Superintendent James Sharpe already paid back the overpayment of nearly 7$3,000 he received in his buyout, but, the audit turned up extra pay, benefits and credit card charges to the tune of $25,000.
