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Joint City Council /PEDC Meeting <br />September 15, 2014 <br />Page 12 <br />anyone the facts, it was what it was, that this could not be whitewashed and it was a shame. <br />Council Member Pickle asked her if she was willing to take responsibility and she responded that <br />she was and would be willing to review PEDS's expenditures that she brought to the meeting <br />with her. She brought up another expenditure, which was $1,000 for a breakfast and said she <br />disagreed with Mr. Moore's advice about what that money could be used for. Council Member <br />Lancaster said she felt the money was supposed to be used to bring jobs to Paris and that was not <br />going to bring jobs to Paris. She said it was a shame that no one had looked at all of this. Mayor <br />Frierson said that was the responsibility of the PEDC board, which was what Mr. Grubbs was <br />doing. Council Member Lancaster said he was making it her responsibility. Mayor Frierson told <br />Council Member Lancaster she had opportunity every time they voted to approve the actions and <br />budgets of the PEDC. She said she was going to take a longer look at those expenditures and <br />actions. Council Member Lancaster said after many years, she did not see the PEDC as a <br />positive organization. Mr. Wilson said it was obvious there was an organized and orchestrated <br />movement to discredit PEDC and this whole thing started with an anonymous letter. <br />Council Member Hashmi said he had prepared a statement and he would like to read it. <br />He read the following: "Ladies and gentlemen I had some reservations about coming to the <br />meeting when Mr. Defenbaugh was not present, but I felt compelled to come since there was a <br />lot of misinformation going around and I wanted to clarify it. First and foremost, I want to say I <br />have not had any meeting or contact with Mr. Defenbaugh of any sort. I received the anonymous <br />letter in January or early February at which time I told the mayor pro -tem Mr. Wright and the <br />city manager about it since he was the one that puts things on the agenda. I asked Ms. Cleonne <br />Drake since she had prior law enforcement experience, as to who investigates these kinds of <br />things. She said did not know but she said that she would ask her husband. Later on her <br />husband said that he found two companies that did it and that he could arrange for them to meet <br />with me to which I said no, since the Council had not met and no decision had been made by the <br />Council as to what direction they want to proceed. Also, three to four days later which was in the <br />middle of February, in the executive session I handed sealed envelopes to all the City Council <br />members with the anonymous letter and the documentation that came along with it. I also <br />informed the PEDC Director Ms. Rebecca Clifford about it and I also felt like I should inform <br />Mr. Holland Harper since there was some relationship to that company. Again, I'm not saying <br />right or wrong, I'm just giving you information. The anonymous letter was received in the <br />month of January or early February and given to the Council Members in the executive session <br />in February. It was subsequently placed on the regular agenda in the March meeting. At no time <br />during this period did I or any of my family members meet with Mr. Defenbaugh or had any <br />discussions with any of his associates, not only that, at no time after that did I meet Mr. <br />Defenbaugh other than the one day that he showed up at my office and I've already disclosed <br />that to the Council. I did not try to contact him or any other members of either the City Council <br />or the PEDC Board to suggest that Mr. Defenbaugh should or should not be appointed for the <br />investigation. This misinformation that I contacted him before I got the letter or that in any way <br />or form that I suggested his name to some of the Council Members or PEDC, that he was hired <br />by me before the Council had voted on it is completely false and I am perfectly willing to say <br />this under oath. I had absolutely no contact; I almost didn't even know his name until he showed <br />up at my office. So if anyone says that I signed a contract with him or that I had prior <br />