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Residents tell council FOIA responses from EDC lacked itemized receipts; advocate urges review
Summary
Two Mount Pleasant residents presented FOIA responses about the Economic Development Corporation that they said omitted itemized expense reports and raised concerns about forgiven funds and possible misuse of an expense account; they provided the council with thumb drives containing their records and requested review.
During the public-comment portion of the meeting, two residents presented allegations about record-keeping and expense practices at the city's Economic Development Corporation (EDC).
Steve Bolster said he and Holly Parker requested three FOIA records from the EDC and that the city council had not been notified about certain agreements; he handed out thumb drives with the documents he received and said the FOIA responses lacked itemized receipts and appeared incomplete.
Casey Coleman, who identified himself as a former federal chief information officer and 12-year senior executive in the U.S. government, said he reviewed FOIA responses and alleged that Nathan Defoya had deliberately withheld information, misused an expense account for personal purchases (floral deliveries, retail charges and personal meals), and gave gift cards to EDC trustees in ways he described as inappropriate for fiduciaries. Coleman said such conduct could be grounds for termination for cause.
Council did not take immediate action during the public-comment period; the speakers said they had provided materials to council and asked that the matters be reviewed under applicable public-records law and city policies.
