By Joyce Kryszak and Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – Erie County's top law enforcement official says there is no evidence of illegal misconduct stemming from the county budget crisis.
A list of cut county services coupled with a massive deficit, and rising taxes have many residents calling the county budget fiasco criminal. Even one state lawmaker, Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, went on record saying he believed criminal actions caused the financial meltdown. And some Democrats reportedly campaigned for the ouster of the County Executive.
Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark says they have investigated three allegations of criminal activity. Clark says they found the budget process was flawed, but not criminal.
"There have been some things that have come to our intention that we have looked at," said Clark. "And in every case, so far, determined that while it may have been improper, or there may have been certain rules or regulations violated, they were not criminal statues. So, that the sanctions would be other than criminal prosecution."
Clark would not specify which people or departments were involved in the investigation. However, he says any improper practices they found were brought to the attention of interested parties.
"What we're talking about is how the whole process worked, whether or not elements of the process had been bypassed and, in some cases, whether or not resolutions that were passed were properly acted on, whether appropriations were made that were not proper, through the whole executive and legislative process," said Clark.
Clark says it could possibly be argued that the actions were unethical if there were deliberate attempts to circumvent the process. But he says those determinations fall beyond his authority.