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You are here: Home / News / West Tennessee Mayor Indicted on Theft, Official Misconduct Charges

West Tennessee Mayor Indicted on Theft, Official Misconduct Charges

October 10, 2020 By Dick Cook and Contributed Article 0 Comments

Baris Douglas, the mayor of Henning in Lauderdale County, has been indicted for theft and official misconduct after an investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office.

Investigators determined that Douglas used the town’s debit and Walmart credit cards to steal at least $2,237.74 from the town and its taxpayers.

Douglas used the cards to make a variety of unauthorized purchases for his own benefit including meals, medication, food products, and a laptop with accessories.

Comptroller investigators also identified $4,151.51 in questionable transactions. These included travel expenses that were not supported with receipts or other documentation, and other purchases of meals, lawn fertilizer, and printer ink that could not be substantiated for the town’s benefit.

The investigative report also questions a $48,000 contract awarded to a financial consultant for the town’s financial matters at a rate of $2,000 per month.

Mayor Douglas entered into the contract, and it was retroactively approved by the town’s alderman. Investigators were unable to verify that the consultant provided any of the services to the town that were outlined in the contract.

In October 2020, Baris Clayton Douglas was indicted by the Lauderdale County Grand Jury on one count of theft over $2,500 and two counts of official misconduct.

“The Town of Henning must take immediate steps to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse,” said Comptroller Justin P. Wilson. “The town does not have a purchasing policy, guidelines governing the use of credit cards, and it does not maintain inventory records for capital assets. Town officials have pledged to address these problems, and I’m hopeful they will take action.”

To view the investigative report, go to: https://comptroller.tn.gov/office-functions/investigations/find.html

Filed Under: News

About Dick Cook

Dick Cook has lived in East Ridge since the Kennedy Administration when his parents bought a house on Marietta Street. Dick graduated from ERHS in 1976 before going on to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he studied Political Science. Dick worked for the Chattanooga Free-Press and the Chattanooga Times Free Press for 22 years. Free-Press Sports Editor Roy Exum plucked him out of production in 1989 and gave him a job as a sports reporter. Dick covered everything from prep sports to the whitewater events on the Ocoee River for the 1996 Olympics. When Chattanooga's two paper's merged, he became the Crime Reporter covering both the Chattanooga Police and Fire Departments. He was among reporters who were honored by the Associated Press for the TFP's coverage of the 2002 fog-shrouded crash on I-75 in Catoosa County, Dick and his wife, Cathy, live on Marlboro Avenue where they are seen frequently chasing around their three grandsons.

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