Cruzan responds to Ashe's accusations of wrongdoing

By Lisa Majors-Duff

Appearing before the Jackson County Board of Commissioners Tuesday night, former Sheriff Jim Cruzan said recent statements made about him and his former deputies are "deliberate lies."

Since taking office in December, current Sheriff Jimmy Ashe has requested funds to hire additional personnel he said were needed to get record keeping back in order at the Sheriff's Office. Specifically, Ashe has requested funds to hire an administrative assistant.

"The administrative assistant position is crucial to the daily operations of the Sheriff's Office due to the large number of discrepancies found in the records of the department," Ashe said in January. "Upon my taking office, I discovered several problems with records involving monies assigned to the department, receipts of items purchased by the department, personnel records, accounts payable and accounts receivable.

"If these problems are allowed to persist, then the county could face civil liability issues due to the amounts of local, state and federal money that is accountable in these records," he continued.

Cruzan, who served two terms as sheriff before losing in the primary to Ashe, his former chief deputy, said Tuesday that he had "purposely remained silent" following Ashe's statements "to allow the truth to come out, and I believe it has."

At least three audits of records at the Sheriff's Office have been conducted by county auditors Crisp, Hughes and Evans, each of which have shown no problems exist with records kept by the former sheriff and his deputies, said Cruzan, who provided commissioners with an eight-item list of conditions at the office when he left.

"All reports concerning the domestic violence grant were up to date," he said. "No one had to salvage that grant; it was never in jeopardy.

Grant money was never used to buy personal computers for anyone, nor was narcotics operations money ever used improperly, he said, and gun permits were issued in accordance with the law.

"Investigations were conducted fairly and equally without regard to political affiliations or social standing," Cruzan said. "I never backed off on an investigation, nor did I expect my deputies not to enforce the law for any personal favors."

The former sheriff went on to say that all department equipment and records were in order when he left on Dec. 2, and that the current year budget was not depleted. Further, he said, money received by the Sheriff's Office from the U.S. Forest Service for patrol on federal land was sent to the county finance office.

"I lost that election, and it was a fair election," Cruzan said. "But I sure as hell ain't no crook or thief."

"It is consistent and proper for a new sheriff or any public administrator to audit and inspect the financial, administrative and operational status of an organization upon assuming the position," Ashe said Wednesday. "Such processes, which occur regularly in the public sector, do not automatically assume wrongdoing.

"If, however, the results of these independent evaluations prove otherwise, I, as any public official, would be duty-bound to address them accordingly," he said.

Back to Archive: 03/20/03.