As you read the following papers, as well as information found in Money, Travel, Dr. Niroomand, Evaluation, Tenure and Rewards and James Crockett -- Vacationing with State Funds, keep in mind USM's Mission statement which states in part: "We make efficient and effective use of our resources, for we are accountable to our university communities, the Board of Trustees, and taxpayers."
JAMES CROCKETT --- Vacationing with State Funds
James Crockett’s Travel: Lost in the Smokies? (New 8/13/06)
On 4-13-02, Crockett departed Covington, KY and headed for Kodak, TN, which is located about 22 miles east of Knoxville, in east Tennessee, and just about 20 miles north of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (mapquest.com). Thus, the drive from Covington to Kodak was 269.15 miles in the wrong direction (mapquest.com). He remained in Kodak over night, requiring $10.21 for dinner, another $51.92 for an overnight stay in the Kodak Holiday Inn Express, and $12.31 for breakfast on the morning of 4-14-02. These charges (about $75) would’ve also been avoided had Crockett flown, and thus should not have been reimbursed by USM. It appears as though Dr. Crockett chose to drive in order to slip in a one night stay in the Smoky Mountains during mid-April of 2002.
James Crockett’s Travel: Paradise Found (8/13/06)
As the red box indicates, the lowest nightly fee at the San Destin Golf and Beach Resort (the Convention site) in 2003 was $144.00, the rate that Crockett was allowed for reimbursement. Using James Crockett’s formula above, and the 2003 weekly rate for Paradise Found, the nightly rate that Clint Crockett was billed was $243 (1700/7=243 per day). This means that Dr. Crockett had to pay the incidental nightly charge of $99, or $297 over three nights. It seems clear from the text above Table 2 that he (Crockett) did not make information like that in Table 2 available to USM’s Financial Affairs officials in either 2002 or 2004. Thus, it appears as though Crockett may have over-billed USM by $450 or more across 2002 and 2004.
High-Flying Faculty A Look at High-Dollar Travel Years in the CoB (Update 8/13/06)
CoB Travel by the Numbers (New 8/8/06)Updated 8/17/06)
Crockett & Family in the Music City (New 8/20/06)
The incremental cost to USM (or MS taxpayers) of Crockett’s visit with family in Nashville in April of 1997 looks to be about $55 to $65. This would bring his total in over-billing the public to about $650 (see previous reports at usmpride.com), if not more, over only four conventions (2 in Destin, and 1 each in Nashville and Covington, KY). Three of these four involved visiting family, while the remaining one came from an add-on visit to the Smokey Mountains in East Tennessee.
The incremental cost to USM (or MS taxpayers) of Crockett’s visit with family in Nashville in April of 1997 looks to be about $55 to $65. This would bring his total in over-billing the public to about $650 (see previous reports at usmpride.com), if not more, over only four conventions (2 in Destin, and 1 each in Nashville and Covington, KY). Three of these four involved visiting family, while the remaining one came from an add-on visit to the Smokey Mountains in East Tennessee.
The Costs of Sponsoring Operation Pretense: Following USM’s Money (August 25, 2006)
A Year in the Life of the Morgan Professorship A Look at Jim Crockett’s Expenditures, 1998-1999 (8/15/06)
James Crockett's Travel: Back to the Beach (8/31/06)
"there is a bigger issue here, also involving what seems to be Crockett’s penchant for combining family vacations, visits to family, and side-outings with academic trips. In one way or another, over-billing is often involved on these occasions. In this instance, the over-billing appears to be about $150 range. That means, across just 5 conferences (3 in Destin, 1 each in Nashville, TN and Covington, KY), Crockett may have over-billed USM by as much as $800."
"there is a bigger issue here, also involving what seems to be Crockett’s penchant for combining family vacations, visits to family, and side-outings with academic trips. In one way or another, over-billing is often involved on these occasions. In this instance, the over-billing appears to be about $150 range. That means, across just 5 conferences (3 in Destin, 1 each in Nashville, TN and Covington, KY), Crockett may have over-billed USM by as much as $800."
Related stories of Interest
Is James Crockett Becoming Part of the Story? (February 19, 2007)
"Reporters at USMPRIDE.COM have put together a report examining the court decisions that came out of “Operation Pretense,” the codename for the FBI’s 1980s operation to expose county corruption (e.g., kickbacks, busted invoices, etc.) in Mississippi. In Table 1 below, you will find the names of the 38 Mississippi county officials who were ordered to pay restitutions -- with amounts ranging from $66 to $15,100 -- as a result of the FBI's sting operation (James Crockett, Operation Pretense, 2003). Additionally, reporters at USMPRIDE.COM reviewed four of the 2006 reports available on this website that document possible cases of abuse of taxpayer funds by the CoB's own James Crockett, the former Morgan Professor of Accounting and author of Operation Pretense, ...".
"Reporters at USMPRIDE.COM have put together a report examining the court decisions that came out of “Operation Pretense,” the codename for the FBI’s 1980s operation to expose county corruption (e.g., kickbacks, busted invoices, etc.) in Mississippi. In Table 1 below, you will find the names of the 38 Mississippi county officials who were ordered to pay restitutions -- with amounts ranging from $66 to $15,100 -- as a result of the FBI's sting operation (James Crockett, Operation Pretense, 2003). Additionally, reporters at USMPRIDE.COM reviewed four of the 2006 reports available on this website that document possible cases of abuse of taxpayer funds by the CoB's own James Crockett, the former Morgan Professor of Accounting and author of Operation Pretense, ...".
usmnews.net usmnews.net usmnews.net usmnews.net usmnews.net
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Down that Road Again: An Investigative Series on the Use of the CoB for Personal Gain (4/20/07)
"CoB faculty and staff were recently greeted by an e-mail from Janis May, the CoB’s Public Relations Manager, announcing that former SAIS Director and Morgan Professor of Accounting James Crockett is holding a book signing to promote his recent release, Hands in the Till - Embezzlement of Public Monies in Mississippi. May’s e-mail is shown below:...".
"CoB faculty and staff were recently greeted by an e-mail from Janis May, the CoB’s Public Relations Manager, announcing that former SAIS Director and Morgan Professor of Accounting James Crockett is holding a book signing to promote his recent release, Hands in the Till - Embezzlement of Public Monies in Mississippi. May’s e-mail is shown below:...".
Hands in the CoB An Investigative Series on the Use of the CoB for Personal Gain (5/30/07)
"With the April 2007 publication of his latest book, Hands in the Till: Embezzlement of Public Monies in Mississippi, accounting professor James R. Crockett is once again in the spotlight. The book (see cover below) marks the second from Crockett in the past few years, both dealing with public sector corruption in Mississippi…". For more reports concerning Dr. Crockett click here.
"With the April 2007 publication of his latest book, Hands in the Till: Embezzlement of Public Monies in Mississippi, accounting professor James R. Crockett is once again in the spotlight. The book (see cover below) marks the second from Crockett in the past few years, both dealing with public sector corruption in Mississippi…". For more reports concerning Dr. Crockett click here.
Why Crockett Retired: Former SAIS Director Explains to USM Public Relations (July 9, 2007)
"James Crockett, the former SAIS Director and professor of accounting in USM’s College of Business, stepped into retirement after spring of 2007. In a recent interview with Jana Bryant (USM Public Relations), Crockett ... explained why he made the move to retirement...".
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"James Crockett, the former SAIS Director and professor of accounting in USM’s College of Business, stepped into retirement after spring of 2007. In a recent interview with Jana Bryant (USM Public Relations), Crockett ... explained why he made the move to retirement...".
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