|
|
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Levinson Calls For Freeholder Cooper To Substantiate Nepotism Allegations
|
Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson is calling for Freeholder Alisa Cooper to substantiate her allegations that county government is plagued with nepotism. Cooper held a press conference on February 20 where she stated she was voting against the county budget because she alleged it was bloated with nepotism. The County Budget passed 8 to 1. Cooper's two fellow Democrats did not find her allegations credible and voted in support of the budget.
When challenged by her fellow Freeholders during their weekly meeting, Cooper was unable to prove her allegations. She stated that the information she needed was in her car. When a recess was declared to allow Cooper to retrieve the information, she returned to the meeting empty handed stating that the documentation she needed was in her other car. When questioned at the Freeholder meeting on February 28 whether she could now substantiate her claims, Cooper stated that she was still trying to "connect the dots" and didn't complete her research yet although she had promised the Board that she would have the necessary information at the meeting.
"Cooper stood before the news media and publicly made serious accusations about county government that she cannot substantiate. Why did she hold a press conference and say that nepotism was rampant in county government if she had not already finished her research? Did she think that she could simply mislead the public and get away with it like she does during her campaigns? She had the budget to review for more than five weeks. As a candidate, she made unsubstantiated charges of fraud and corruption that were never validated. Now she has come up with a new one - nepotism. Cooper must realize that she is no longer a candidate and that as an elected official if she makes accusations she has an obligation to provide proof at the time she makes them," Levinson said. "Accusations have consequences."
"When Cooper makes claims that county government is corrupt and loaded with nepotism she's questioning the character and integrity of all county employees and undermining the public's faith in their government," Levinson added. "To do so without having clear, immediate and compelling proof is dishonest and a gross disservice to the public."
Since Cooper became a Freeholder she has inundated county administration with requests for financial and personnel information. She has received everything she asked for and has had more than adequate time to thoroughly review the material and provide proof of her allegations. The fact that she has not should cause one to seriously question her credibility, Levinson said.
"This issue is not going to go away until Cooper substantiates her allegations or publicly retracts them," Levinson said. "If she is truly concerned about the public interest and her own integrity, she has to do one or the other." |
| |
|
|
|
|
