Supt. Hatrick challenged the article statement that such investigations were being conducted. Hatrick outlined his efforts to ascertain the basis of such a statement from the authors of the article and the two identified Investigatory agencies. Hatrick advised that based on his conversations with representatives of the two agencies no investigations were being conducted. Hatrick explained the Washington Office of the FBI advised that LCPS would be aware if such an investigation were underway. Regarding the Department of Education Hatrick provided a clarification that since no federal funds, the purview of the Inspector General’s Office U.S. Department of Education, were used in the proposed land purchase, there was no basis for an investigation. Hatrick also provided a written reply obtained from one of the article authors, which read, “No one in an official capacity is accusing the schools or the school board of corruption in land purchases.”
Hatrick also contacted the editor of another Loudoun County newspaper, believed but not confirmed to be Leesburg Today regarding its coverage of the CPI story. That editor, Hatrick said told him “It is possible the questions stem from the work that continues to be done examining the relationship between Greenvest and the previous board (of supervisors), more so than the land acquisition process per se.”
Hatrick urged anyone with “specific knowledge of wrongdoing by any LCPS employee to come forward with that information and concluded his remarks, “Charges such as those made in the article are very serious, and we do not intend to allow such shaded language to go unchallenged.” Supt. Hatrick complete statement is available on the LCPS website at www.loudounl.k12.va.us.
The “Cries of Corruption” article in question, authored by Dusty Smith and Michael Zuckerman, was published June 16 by the “Center for Public Integrity,” as part of the center’s “Land Use Accountability Project” CPI is identified on the organization’s website www.publicintegrity.org as a “non profit, non partisan, non advocacy digital news organization,” located in Washington, D.C. Smith , according the company profile “covered the boards of supervisors in Fairfax, Fauquier, and Prince William counties for Times Community Newspapers, which publishes nearly 20 community newspapers in the Virginia suburbs… joined Leesburg Today as its chief Loudoun County government reporter.” Smith has worked at CPI since 2007. Zuckerman is identified as “Project Director”, with 30 years in journalism including as a reporter for Gannett Newspapers in New York, adjunct professor at George Washington University and “A “Founder” of USA Today, Zuckerman served there as rewrite desk chief, projects editor, Washington editor, and foreign editor,” according to the Center staff profile.
The Center for Public Integrity stated mission “ is to produce original investigative journalism about significant public issues to make institutional power more transparent and accountable.” The Center is located at 910 17th Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20006, (202) 466-1300. The CPI Wheatlands article is available of the organizations website at www.publicintegrity.org.
While the article questioned LCPS land acquisitions acumen and the Loudoun Board of Supervisors rejection of three such recent land deals all involving LCPS and Loudoun land developers, the article failed to mention that in regards to the Wheatlands contract, a majority of Loudoun supervisors, aware of the location of the site, the three school plan and the contract price, had signaled their support for the project to LCPS. That majority soon evaporated as Whealtands area neighbors, farmers and other western Loudoun residents launched an organized and vocal opposition. In a public reversal of opinion, four supervisors changed from supporting the LCPS Wheatland’s project to opposition. The final vote was 8-1 with only Sterling Supervisors Eugene Delgaudio (R) holding firm on his original position.
The CPI article made no mention of any interviews with and or comments from any LCPS official or school board member regarding the Wheatlands proposals, nor LCPS comments regarding the CPI story.
And it seems “Greenvest” is once again at the center of any alleged and otherwise announced or not yet announced long going, on-going and still unfruitful FBI investigations.
The CPI article named only two individuals, Loudoun residents and husband and wife Chris Gestern and Linda Chavez with public and written statements respectively regarding “cries of corruption.”
“ Local resident Chris Gersten exploded in anger, expressing a sentiment many would only whisper: “It’s corruption, and we all know it,” Gersten said to the crowd of about 150 people, most of them activists opposing the schools’ plans for development. “Everyone in this room knows it.”
Days later, Gersten’s wife, Linda Chavez, a popular conservative media pundit and former Reagan administration official, whose property is nearby Wheatland, wrote an open letter to (LOUDOUN) Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott York, calling for an inquiry.
“While I am sympathetic to LCPS’s need to acquire land in order to build schools for the future, this contract reflects gross incompetence on the part of both the LCPS staff and the elected members of the school board that approved the purchase — or, worse, malfeasance,” Chavez wrote.”
The article also quotes Chavez as writing “I would like to see the (Board of Supervisors) either initiate its own investigation or refer this matter to the appropriate county, state, or federal legal authority to determine whether any improper influence was exerted on LCPS staff, school board members, or other elected officials in connection with this purchase; or whether conflicts of interest existed between any LCPS staff, school board members or other elected officials and any parties to this contract.”
Salvatore J. Cangiano, a developer and owner of the Wheatlands property in questions contracted to sell 160 plus acres to LCPS for future construction of co located three schools, an elementary, a middle and a high school to serve western Loudoun residents, is another focus of the article.
“But now, following a bruising court battle, Wheatland is in the hands of Salvatore J. Cangiano, a colorful developer and New Jersey transplant. Cangiano negotiated a contract to sell a portion of the land to the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) for what strikes many as an extraordinarily high price, given the current real estate market. The proposed sale marks the fourth time in recent years that the LCPS has undertaken a land purchase whose location and seemingly inflated price seemed curious. And like the previous three deals, the proposed Wheatland purchase has now been scuttled by the County Board of Supervisors. The board and an increasing number of local residents — including a prominent former Reagan Administration official — are wondering just what’s going on with the school system and its land purchases. And now the U.S. Department of Education’s inspector general and the FBI are investigating as well,” the article stated.
Supt. Hatrick’s complete statement follows:
The authors of the story, Dusty Smith and Michael Zuckerman, said, “And like the previous three deals, the proposed Wheatland purchase has now been scuttled by the County Board of Supervisors. The board and an increasing number of local residents—including a prominent former Reagan Administration official—are wondering just what's going on with the school system and its land purchases. And now the U. S. Department of Education's inspector general and the FBI are investigating as well.”
This story was written after Dusty Smith interviewed Director of Planning and Legislative Services Dr. Sam Adamo for 45 minutes about the matter of the land purchase and after Mr. Smith had examined hundreds of pages of documents concerning the purchase. No mention of the interview or document inspection appeared in the story.
Within hours other news organizations happened to see the posting and began inquiring of LCPS. Since we had no knowledge of investigations by anyone, we contacted the Washington Office of the FBI. They said LCPS would be aware of such an investigation were it taking place. The Inspector General's Office of the U. S. Department of Education concerns itself with use of federal funds, none of which were involved in this purchase.
When reference to this posting was included in a lead story and editorial in a local newspaper I contacted the editor to see if he could help me identify sources for the story so that I could check for myself any official allegations of misdeeds. In his response to my email, the editor said, “It is possible the questions stem from the work that continues to be done examining the relationship between Greenvest and the previous board (of supervisors), more so than the land acquisition process per se.”
This possibility was confirmed in a telephone conversation I had today with one of the authors of the story, Michael Zuckerman. I asked him whether anyone in an official capacity is accusing Loudoun County Public Schools or its School Board of corruption in land purchases or whether such accusations are coming from activists involved in the recent controversy over the potential Wheatland purchase. I was seeking the names of any FBI or U. S. Department of Education officials with whom I could speak. Mr. Zuckerman knew that I intended to address this matter tonight, and he told me that I could certainly say that, “No one in an official capacity is accusing the schools or the school board of corruption in land purchases.”
I asked him to provide that statement in writing, and he asked me to submit the question to him in an email. I did so, and one hour later I received the response that, “'The Cries of Corruption' referenced in the story headline are being made by members of the public, as documented in the story.” He also said, “We stand by what we reported in our story. In the interest of clarity, however, please understand, that while we have confirmed through official and unofficial sources that the FBI and the Department of Education's Inspector General's office have been (as recently as a couple of weeks ago) investigating LCPS land acquisition policies and practices, we are not aware of any specific allegations of corruption made by officials.”
My requests to Mr. Zuckerman for the names of any officials who are alleging such investigations were met by a refusal on the basis of protecting sources, but it is hard for me to believe that anyone at the FBI or the Department of Education needs protecting from Loudoun County Public Schools.
I continue to encourage anyone who has specific knowledge of any wrongdoing by any LCPS employee to come forward with that information. Charges such as those made in the article are very serious, and we do not intend to allow such shaded language to go unchallenged.
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