Editor’s comment: Rush to judgment on County Treasurer Joy Logan is unseemly and unfair
Editor’s comment:
Rush to judgment on Joy Logan unseemly & unfair
While we do not pretend to know all the facts about the alleged embezzlement of more than $210,000 from the Beaufort County Treasurer’s Office by accused former county employee Casaundra White, we do know the rush to judgment against her boss, Beaufort County Treasurer Joy Logan, is unseemly and unfair. For starters:
1. News of the alleged embezzlement did not break into public view until a press release from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office at 4:32 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, May 12, a day and a half ago.
2. Already The Beaufort Gazette has carried two lengthy front page stories, one yesterday and another today, quoting Beaufort County Adminstrator Gary Kubic as demanding late Wednesday, within minutes after the press release, the resignation of County Treasurer Joy Logan.
3. The Gazette’s story today carries a further reported accusation by Kubic that “he believes indicates an attempt [by Logan] to circumvent county hiring practices.”
Now, wait a minute. Let’s ask a couple of pertinent questions:
1. Isn’t this actually a story about Casaundra White, a person who, after months of official behind-the-scenes inquiry, has been duly accused of a crime after being duly investigated by law enforcement authorities after a duly authorized independent audit of the Treasurer’s Office?
2. How did Joy Logan, the county treasurer, get thrust into the middle of this on notice of a few minutes by an unsubstantiated accusation of the county administrator? What happened to a duly appointed inquiry by duly empowered officials following duly adopted procedures?
We note the following:
1. This is election season and Joy Logan is running for re-election.
2. A number of folks are running around gathering signatures to put somebody else’s name on the ballot to run against Joy Logan.
So, listen up, folks:
1. These are unsubstantiated accusations by the county administrator, a hired hand who has no authority to bring charges against anybody, against an elected official who is answerable to the voters in an upcoming election.
2. The county administrator owes it to the public and to his job to explain why he has gone public with unsubstantiated accusations instead of doing what he is supposed to do, which is to follow channels by reporting in executive session his concerns to his bosses, the members of county council, and requesting an inquiry.
The bottom line is:
1. Gary Kubic needs to stop mouthing off to the press.
2. County Council needs to meet in executive session to let Joy Logan and Gary Kubic tell their sides of the Casaundra White story. Then county council needs to set the direction of any subsequent inquiry, if one is warranted in their judgment.
This rush to judgment in the press on unsubstantiated charges by the county administrator against the county treasurer is unseemly and unfair.
Related posts:
- Beaufort County Administrator calls on County Treasurer to resign for “credibility problem”
- Former employee accused of stealing $210,000 from Beaufort County Treasurer’s Office
- Delinquent tax money missing from Beaufort County treasurer’s office
- County council committee to consider overruling Kubic on Lady’s Island trash dump closing
- Beaufort County enters universal health care business, offers discount card for prescription drugs
Comments
6 Responses to “Editor’s comment: Rush to judgment on County Treasurer Joy Logan is unseemly and unfair”
I strongly suspect that the reason Mr. Kubic has been very vocal in asking for Logan’s resignation is because he and the county’s CFO are ultimately responsible in ensuring that the proper internal accounting controls are in place in order to minimize the risk of accounting fraud.
The county’s CFO is a CPA and thusly should be well versed in fraud prevention, yet I have failed to see his name mentioned in any of the relevant articles. Maybe someone should ask him about the internal accounting controls that are in place.
I think maybe one needs to read the 2005 audit that was done and ask if all those other issues had been resolved. We now know that may not have happened and that there is an additional audit presently being carried out.
There is more to this than merely Casaundra White. There has been no rush to out her since she has had almost six years to remedy all of those issues and they have just burst out all over to include criminal acts within her office.
We all will be watching carefully to all of the issues going on and act accordingly.
This article is very insightful. The Administrator sounds like a mad man. Check into his background and see if he has a problem with women in leadership. It is my understanding that the Treasurer found the problem and he offered his assistance. I hope no one else takes him up on an offer to assist.
Gary Kubic seems to think he is judge and jury. These are not the principles of our judicial system.
I am sure he is not sqeeky clean. Open his closet and what would we find?
I suspect Gary Kubic is so preoccupied with unfounded accusations he may not be doing his job. Watch out, Gary Kubic, while you’re looking at Joy Logan something may slip by you.
We all do not do a perfect job, but if you try your best your average will turn out very good. Joy Logan has served the people of Beaufort County in the above-average catergory. Just look at her record. Let me repeat! Look at Joy Logan’s record.
Now, look at Gary Kubic’s record. Does Gary Kubic have an agenda to become a politician or something else without going through the proper process? Gary Kubic has missed one deadline.
Joy Logan had a lapse in judgment when she didn’t fire Casaundra White when she took $600, but she has been doing a good job for 20 years.
She showed compassion to White and it bit her in the rear. I don’t think she will ever make a mistake like that again.
These audits prove that she is personally honest.
Thank you for your insightful comments. I could not agree with you more. Joy Logan is being maligned in the press by our County Administrator, and it is wrong.