"Nonsense" is how Campbell Malone, the former post auditor of the 23rd Legislature, characterized Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen’s claims that his former office was in "shambles" when she gained entry Tuesday.
In a release, Hansen, the incoming Senate Finance Committee chairwoman, said that when she finally gained access to the Post Audit Division office, it was "torn apart and in shambles."
She said financial papers were shredded and strewn about the office and computer hard drives had been "wiped clean."
Hansen assailed former Finance Committee Chairwoman Lorraine Berry for not turning over the keys to the Post Audit office on Monday when the 24th Legislature was sworn in.
"How can we conduct the people’s business when public records have been systematically destroyed or taken," Hansen said in the release. "Records of government transactions and accounts are not her private property, they belong to the people of the Virgin Islands."
Berry countered on a radio talk show Tuesday, saying Hansen’s accusations were "scandalous."
"If it did happen, I would invite her to call in the police," Berry said.
On Wednesday, Malone, who held his position for almost two years, said Hansen’s picture of the office was off base.
"The office was as it was," he said. "There was no ransacking of anything. That is fabrication."
Malone said that his desk is always piled with documents, a situation that was compounded recently by the conclusion of the Finance Committee’s budget process. He added that the air-conditioner in the Post Audit Division was frequently out of order, so he took some work to his home office. There were also problems with computers in the office crashing, which wrought havoc on the hard drives.
"As post auditor, you have many, many things to deal with at the same time," he said. "My desk is never a clean desk. This is just nonsense."
Hansen said she videotaped the office and is "currently weighing her options."
Meanwhile, Malone, a certified public accountant, said he will go back to his private practice now that his stint in the Senate is finished.
"I enjoyed myself," he said. "I was able to bring a lot of my previous experience as a CPA to bear."
The post auditor position changes with each Legislature. Traditionally, the Finance Committee chairperson recommends a person for the position to the Senate president, who then makes the final decision on the hire.
Maureen Rabsatt-Cullar, who is not a CPA, has been picked to fill the post during the 24th Legislature.
