A document obtained by the New Hanover County ABC Board shows that from 2008-present, the Board compensated attorney George Rountree III a total of $102,221.72 for services rendered.
Late last year and into the beginning of this year, the former members of the county board were under heavy fire for openly disobeying state open meetings law, competitive bidding laws, and a whole host of other questionable activities due to little or no oversight by the county. During those proceedings, it was reported in the Star News that attorney Rountree was retained by the Board to represent the members, although they were never officially charged with any crime or wrongdoing whatsoever. The entire issue cleanly disappeared when the three members of the ABC Board promptly resigned just as their house of cards was beginning to topple.
However, there is absolutely no answer as to why the ABC Board has had Rountree retained permanently, and has compensated him so much over the past two years. In the State of North Carolina, ABC Boards are public boards, and by law are to operate in the view of the public, and even are supposed to be comprised of members of the public. On the surface, there appears no need or reason for a public ABC Board to retain an attorney for an extended period of time; and even their deferral to Rountree in the wake of the public scrutiny surrounding their activities remains questionable.
More to come - stay tuned.
Document revealing compensation for Rountree:
ABC Board Rountree
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Very impressive investigative work...try to watch the publicly televised or internet version of the Cape Fear Future Commission (the Committee of Half-a-Hundred...hahaha) and it ends with a creepy rant about salaries by Mr. Rountree (where did the D go in his name by the way??)...defending the need to pay huge multi-six figure salaries to state and local government workers...it is insane! He made a mess of the local ABC situation, a mess of the UNCE mens basketball program (muscling in with money to buy a "hall of fame" honor for himself (??!!), and lots of influence in coaching changes that have gutted a proud program. I sort of hope he is Rusty Carter's attorney....that would be precious. What a bunch of crooked old white angry men.
ReplyDeleteLeary Rogers Wilmington NC.
ReplyDeleteLots of people with no ethics in public service. A democratic party criminal syndicate which connects our locals to the statewide cesspool that cannot police itself it is so corrupt to the bone. Campaign $$$ scam artist Rusty Carter? MOST Guilty 2010. Lanny Wison? MOST Guilty 2009. Honorable mention Guilty? Everyone rationalizing the rotten to the core NHC ABC Board and pension racket king William billy Williams. All those rotten old men. Guilty. County Manager Shell and Bombastic attorney Roundtree. Guilty. Rich families above the law. Guilty every week of some moral scandal. Polluters? GUILTY. Whose next is question.