* Dunn pursues sheriff dispute to U.S. Att’y General

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Fayette | News

Dunn pursues sheriff dispute to U.S. Att’y General

Tue, 08/08/2006 - 4:31pm

By: John Munford

Fayette County Commission Chairman Greg Dunn has taken his dispute with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Dunn has written a letter to Gonzales urging him to stop the disbursement of federal drug seizure money to the sheriff’s office or instead funnel the money through the county’s finance department.

Dunn contends that Sheriff Randall Johnson “has not provided the board with documentation supporting how the funds have been expended.”

Sheriff’s officials say that’s not so, noting that the funds have been reviewed on several occasions by county finance staff in addition to a forensic auditing firm that was hired by the county.

“He’s lying like a dog,” Sheriff Randall Johnson said of Dunn’s allegation that his office hasn’t fully opened its books on the drug seizure funds.

The county commission previously attempted to have the drug funds routed through the county coffers instead of going directly to the sheriff’s office. But the U.S. Department of Justice, which administers that program, nixed that because the funds must go directly to the intended law enforcement agency, according to federal guidelines.

Nonetheless, Dunn’s letter to Gonzales states the county again wants to have the drug funds routed through the county’s finance department instead of the checks going directly to the sheriff’s office.

In the letter, Dunn notes that the Department of Justice “classified this as a local issue for the county to handle” and takes issue with the drug fund payments continuing to the sheriff’s department since the county commission has declined to file two pieces of paperwork necessary to continue doing so as part of an attempted protest against the sheriff’s department.

“The expenditure of these funds has the effect of increasing liability exposure to the board by the manner in which the funds are used (if not in compliance with the federal guidelines) or by the property which is purchased by these funds,” Dunn wrote. “This additional liability is unacceptable to the board.”

Dunn suggested that since an “exception” for the paperwork requirement has been carved for Fayette County, the feds should also allow the county to be indemnified from any legal action that might stem from that new procedure.

A local lawsuit is pending to resolve this and similar disputes between the sheriff and the county commission. The most recent order in the suit requires Johnson to dispose of property through the county, but does not require the sheriff to purchase property using county procedures and guidelines.

Dunn’s letter to Gonzales indicates the county commission may not be ready to make nice despite a recommendation from the judge in the pending lawsuit that both sides should broker a resolution to the case.

Dunn said in the letter to Gonzales that the board of commissioners wants the matter addressed, but the letter was only signed by Dunn instead of each individual county commissioner.

Dunn recently lost his reelection bid in the Republican primary to a supporter of the sheriff, attorney Eric Maxwell. Dunn’s term runs through the end of December this year.

Of course

Submitted by tonto707 on Sat, 08/12/2006 - 6:04am.

Dunn is DONE. He will be getting a response from a deputy at the Justice Department (Alberto doesn't have time for peons) telling him to put it in his ear. The letter may even suggest that DONE attempt to change federal law, since this is all done under federal law, rules and regulations.

Then DONE will call the newspapers and report a victory, but DONE won't explain what the victory is.

By the way, scuttlebut is that there is a rift between Wells and DONE.

Stay tuned for more.

Dunn is DONE!!!

Submitted by sweetpea8870 on Fri, 08/11/2006 - 2:52pm.

Dunn, stop wasting all of our time trying to get your point across!
The point is, you are a self centered, lying, no good for nothing jerk! Go home! The race is over and you lost. Cant wait till December..I support Randall Johnson 100%.

Dunn is NOT Done

Submitted by PTC Guy on Fri, 08/11/2006 - 8:14pm.

Until January 1st.

He is still the Chairman and a Commissioner. That gives him 4 months to do damage.

-----------------------------
Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

I trust you Dunn

Submitted by cleo on Fri, 08/11/2006 - 10:40pm.

to get the job done! Go get 'um!

Tricia

Submitted by Interested bystander on Sat, 08/12/2006 - 11:04am.

Wouldn't you like to know 'out there'?

Submitted by cleo on Sat, 08/12/2006 - 2:28pm.

Don't think so bud! Guess again

dunn

Submitted by shadowalker on Thu, 08/10/2006 - 1:04pm.

dunn is an idiot, let lawenforcement do there job
the more unconventional resoruces they have the more they
can conbat the criminal. yrs ago law enforcement did not have
high tech weapons but the bad guys did, and law enforcement had to
fight for them now you want to tie there hands from funds, and what they are spending them on , you just want to control,

flat our no holes barred you want to control, go home and tell your wife what to do , leave the fcsd alone
i want them to be able to do there job

so you and the rest of the idots shut up

When Sent/When Known

Submitted by PTC Guy on Wed, 08/09/2006 - 4:00pm.

When was this letter sent and when did the paper know.

Just curious on the timing.

-----------------------------
Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

Dunn is like the onion smell

Submitted by Vernon on Wed, 08/09/2006 - 9:43am.

Dunn,
Get the hint you idiot. Fayette Citizens and employees are sick & tired of you. You ARE like the onion smell. You are making everyone sick, people are tired of you, you don't go away and there is no explanation of your existence.

Idiot Dunn

Submitted by skyspy on Wed, 08/09/2006 - 8:38am.

Hello, you lost the election.! Give it up. The citizens of Fayette County should be able to personally sue you for wasting our money. You sir are an abomination to the county. Go away! The tax payers trust the sheriff with our tax money and the drug money more than we trust you and your cronies. I think the sheriff is more honest than you, and will spend the money more wisely than you.

Are You Freakin' Kidding Me?!

Submitted by Emmyjune on Wed, 08/09/2006 - 8:25am.

Greg Dunn still has his panties in a wad-- only worse now because he just lost his reelection bid... All I have to say is GET A CLUE, DUNN! This desperate attempt to take yet another stab at Sheriff Johnson is truly pathetic! You are a sad excuse for an elected official. Sheriff Johnson makes the people of this county proud- and that just seems to drive you crazy. The fact that you have written a letter to Gonzales basically begging for some course of action (for which you actually have NO argument) just displays that you are grasping at straws. The sheriff is not doing anything wrong, despite what you and your pompous buddies want to think. It is a matter of control: you just want your hand in everything. Thank goodness we have voted you out! We're sick of your crap, Dunn. Just shut up and bide your time in office quietly. Leave the Sheriff alone!!!!!!!!!

It goes with

Submitted by tonto707 on Wed, 08/09/2006 - 5:32am.

saying that Greg Dunn doesn't know how politics work. You don't bully your way around with lawsuits and threats, and particularly you don't continue suing and losing, suing and losing, over and over again.

I agree it is time for the county to hire an in house attorney and stop enriching the sue happy buzzards waiting to jump on every available nickle.

An in house attorney should save the county a great deal of money. Such would have no built in incentive to sue, or not sue, his or her pay would be fixed. Attorney's on retainer are never a good idea in this scenario, they by nature have every reason to create reasons to bill the county.

No County Liability From the Sheriff

Submitted by Spear Road Guy on Wed, 08/09/2006 - 12:10am.

Now if the Sheriff wasn't an elected official as designated by the State Constitution, I would say go get'em Chairman Dunn. However, since the Sheriff, under the State Constitution, is not restricted in his duties by the county commission, the liability for the Sheriff's actions fall upon the Sheriff.

I hope the people at the U.S. Attorney General's office tells Dunn to go get a life.

Vote Republican

LISTEN UP GREG DUNN

Submitted by Git Real on Tue, 08/08/2006 - 9:20pm.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Tonights results are a clear and strong message to you that we have had enough. You are an obvious sore loser and a pompous {{{{EDITED AND SEVERELY WARNED}}}} that is obviously bent on revenge.

Be a gentleman and drop it already lest we tar and feather your {{{EDITED}}} and run you out of town in the direction of New York where you came from.

Take it to the top Mr. Dunn

Submitted by snitch on Tue, 08/08/2006 - 10:43pm.

Justice will be served!

Top Mr. Done

Submitted by Git Real on Wed, 08/09/2006 - 8:47am.

And justice has been served with the voters serving it up.

Like I said Mr. Dunn,

Submitted by snitch on Wed, 08/09/2006 - 9:24am.

Keep it up and down they come.
Fight for what is right.

Too bad.

Submitted by snark on Tue, 08/08/2006 - 9:22pm.

I think I could've enjoyed those edited parts. Especially that "severly warned" one. Smiling