I am writing in response to your inquiry to the State’s Attorneys Office regarding the procurement decision made by the Montgomery County Public Schools to acquire Promethean Interactive White Boards. I am also aware that a similar complaint was filed with the Montgomery County Office of Inspector General. The authority of the State’s Attorneys Office is limited to investigating and prosecuting violations of the criminal statutes. Based on the information provided, there is insufficient evidence to initiate a criminal investigation at this time. I believe the Office of Inspector General is the preferable agency to review the MCPS procurement process to ensure compliance with all applicable procurement laws and regulations. You may wish to contact the Montgomery County Office of Inspector General directly to provide any additional information you have on this matter.
David A. Newcomer, CFE, Chief Investigator
State's Attorney's Office - Montgomery County MD
50 Maryland Ave
Montgomery County Circuit Court - 5th Floor
Rockville, MD 20850
Has there been any response from the Inspector General? Sorry if it's further down the page - I do try to check in when time permits, but inquiring minds do want to know! :-)
ReplyDeleteWe are in contact with the Inspector General. He has stated that no purchases have been made. He thinks that since the purchase of the 2,000 Promethean Boards has not been made, there are no supporting documents.
DeleteBut, that flies in the face of the September 11, 2012 Board of Education vote. The BOE already voted to approve CONTRACTS. If those documents don't exist, what did the BOE vote on September 11, 2012?
Are BOE votes just fantasy?
The new President of the County Council is Nancy Navarro. Back in 2008, when MCPS bought 3,300 Promethean Boards, Nancy Navarro was BOE President. She didn't sign any contracts for those purchases. She simply let Larry Bowers and Sherwin Collette buy whatever they wanted without any BOE approval.
DeleteCongratulations, MCPS Board of Education. With Navarro as Council President you are free to completely bypass all State procurement laws. Enjoy!