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Culpeper County board orders forensic audit, suspends county credit-card program after closed session
Summary
At a special meeting, the Culpeper County board voted to retain an independent forensic auditor to review the county credit-card program, payroll and procurement contracts, suspend credit-card use pending review and tighten IT and compliance controls.
At a special meeting called to address confidential county matters, the Culpeper County Board moved to retain an independent forensic auditor, suspend the county credit-card program and tighten information-technology and spending controls.
The board voted after a closed session convened under Virginia Freedom of Information Act exemptions. The vice chairman read the motion to enter closed session, citing Va. Code §2.2-3711(A)(1) for personnel matters, §2.2-3711(A)(7) and (A)(8) for consultation with legal counsel about litigation and legal advice, and §2.2-3711(A)(19) for security of county IT systems and facilities.
A board member moved on return from closed session to take several actions: direct the acting county administrator to restructure communications under the information-technology office; retain an independent forensic auditor to review the county credit-card program, payroll and procurement contracts; suspend the credit-card program pending that review and freeze non-essential card usage; require an immediate account inventory and implement spending controls; address Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) and Department of Corrections (DOC) compliance; and direct personnel investigations. The motion was seconded and put to the board.
The motion passed by the board with members signaling assent; the meeting record shows voice affirmations ('I') rather than a roll-call tally with names. The chair then polled members to certify that only lawfully exempted matters were discussed in closed session and multiple members answered in the affirmative.
Board member Mr. Bates urged caution about rushing to discipline county staff without giving them an opportunity to speak. "I want their side of the story before we... go crucifying somebody," he said, arguing for due process and clarity about who authorized prior work. Other members voiced both support and opposition to that view — one member said, "I 100% disagree with Mr. Bates," while another said, "I 100% agree with Mr. Bates," reflecting division about transparency and prior handling of the matters under review.
The board did not provide details in open session about findings from the closed meeting. The motion specifies an independent forensic audit focused on the credit-card program, payroll and procurement contracts and orders immediate operational steps — including suspension of the card program and inventory/accounting controls — while compliance with CJIS and DOC rules is addressed.
The board adjourned after recording the votes and certification. No timelines or contractors for the audit, a schedule for the suspension, or projected costs were provided in the open record; those details were described as to be handled by staff under the board's direction.
