News 12 First at Five, November 20, 2008

MCDUFFIE COUNTY, Ga -- Thousands of dollars in McDuffie County taxpayer dollars missing after the county manager says an Internet phishing scam got the best of the McDuffie County Finance Director.

The money was stolen back in June of 2007, but it wasn't reported to commissioners until recently and as News 12's Lynnsey Gardner found out, that's not the only problem the county is dealing with.

There are two MuDuffie County investigations. Problems in the County's Finance Department doesn't end with the missing money. Three employees have filed grievances against their boss, and finance director, Jimmy Whitaker claiming harassment and sexual harassment.

McDuffie County is missing nearly $4,000 in tax payer money after the county says the Finance Director, Jimmy Whitaker, gave what he thought was information to the bank via the Internet -- turns out it was a scam.

Don Norton is the County Manager. "We actually thought it was better for everyone not to know at that point in time." That point was in June of 2007. 17 months would pass before the missing money was brought to the Board of Commissioner's attention. Don Norton says as the county manager, he and Whitaker were handling the investigation with the bank.

Gardner, "Was the board upset they hadn't been told sooner?"
Norton, "Well I think they would have rather known about it. They didn't particularly care to hear about it from lower level employees."

Those "lower level employees" three female workers in the finance department. All three have now filed grievances against their boss, Jimmy Whitaker. Two have given oral grievances, a third has turned in a seven page written grievance. In it, the woman claims harassment, sexual harassment, and a dangerous work environment at the hands of Whitaker.

Norton, "We take it very serious. We don't want our employees to feel unhappy and feel that they've been aggrieved."

But one woman feels Norton has not taken it seriously enough. She's also filed a written grievance against him. Asking he be removed from any part in the investigation. In that grievance, the employee says when she came to Norton with her complaints, he didn't do enough.

Norton would not comment on that grievance to News 12.

As for Whitaker, Norton says he's served as McDuffie County's Finance Director for eight years and one woman says the harassment has been going on for six of them. "I think he's done an excellent job for us and as far as all of these other allegations, we don't know until we hear what the facts really are."

Two board members and the County Attorney will serve on a special committee looking into the harassment claims. The first step is a Monday meeting between them, the three accusers and the accused -- Jimmy Whitaker.

Don Norton says he will not take part.

The employee who filed the written grievance, also objects to one member on the special committee. She wants Charlie Newton, who is the county chairman, removed from the investigation because he is related to Whitaker through marriage. Norton says that relationship is "distant." The woman says it's a conflict of interest.