Silas Potter, the former manager of the Seattle School District's small business program, was charged with nine counts of felony theft by the King County Prosecutor on October 25, 2011.Arrest Warrant Issued: An arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 when Potter failed to show up in court to plead guilty or not guilty.
Contracting Scandal: Potter, who has since moved to Florida, but may have fled from there, awarded $1.8 million in questionable contracts that were uncovered by the State Auditor's Office. The fallout from the scandal resulted in the school board firing the superintendent and chief financial officer in March.
2 Others Charged: Two others who were part of Potter's scheme to bilk the district out of $250,000 were also charged. They were not school district employees.
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Checks and Balances: Public agencies need to ensure they have sufficient internal checks and balances in place, not only in their policies, but in practice, to ensure that public contracting is conducted in a fair, transparent, and honest manner. Supervisors and managers who are responsible for approving awards and contracts should actually read what they are approving, and be actively engaged in understanding their operations.
Mike Purdy's Public Contracting Blog© 2011 by Michael E. Purdy Associates, LLChttp://PublicContracting.blogspot.com
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