"DinnerGate" - The Saga Continues...

We’ve been looking at claims made by Councilwoman McCullough about her use of the City’s travel expense budget, and comparing what she says with what she does.

In Part 1 McCullough’s claim that she spent City money only to pay her husband’s portion of the taxes when they shared a meal was found to be false. McCullough used City money to pay for her husband’s portion of tips and delivery/service charges when they shared meals. It also appears that at times she may have paid for his food. In addition, when they shared a taxi or limousine, her husband rode for free, and McCullough used City money to pay the entire fare. Hundreds of City dollars were spent in this manner. BTW – what is she doing taking a limousine and paying with City money?

In Part 2 we looked at McCullough’s 3 claims about reimbursement policies. She claimed (1) she never asked for reimbursement for gas, (2) she was limited to $50 per diem, and (3) she never asked for or received more than $2 for baggage handling. All these claims were false. McCullough almost always asked for gas reimbursement, had no limits on her spending (and often spent more than $100 a day on food alone), and asked for more than $2 for baggage reimbursement.

Today we’re looking at her personal habits. No one is interested in Mrs. McCullough’s personal habits, but when she introduces them into official testimony from the dais at a City Council meeting, in dispute of what she views as an attack on her integrity, McCullough herself puts her personal habits on the table for inspection.

(Note: The numbers in parentheses following a quote refer to the time on the videotape when McCullough made the remarks quoted"

Claim – She Works All Day Long Without Food

McCullough claimed “I will go all day long and not eat anything, just drink water…some nuts and seeds and some raisins” (1.49:35). Working hard for the City, she claims she works “sometimes from 6 or 7 in the morning until 12 or 1 at night” (1.50:29). She made these assertions as a way of explaining why she used room service late at night (thus incurring added expenses for the City).

Truth

The truth is Mrs. McCullough rarely misses an opportunity for a meal. Here are some dates and times from her meal receipts -

• 1/18/2012 – 9:37 am, 13:23 pm, 19:43 pm, 19:51 pm,

• 6/14/2012 – 10:10 am, 14:11 pm, 19:08 pm, 21:43 pm

• 9/5/2012 – 12:00 pm, 12:20 pm, 10:00 pm

I couldn’t find a single date when she went without eating at least two meals a day, and sometimes four, and that doesn’t include the snacks. Of course that’s her business, but it becomes public business when she lies about it. No one cares what her eating habits are, until she lies about working so hard all day she doesn’t have time to eat. If she will lie about something so basic, you have to wonder what else she is lying about.

Claim – She Eats Very Very Healthy

McCullough claimed that “I may be a large woman but I eat very very healthy”. (1.49:27)

Truth

• On 1/18/2012 she asked for reimbursement for $21.21 worth of Cheeze-its. How healthy is that?

• On 6/14/2012, McCullough had lunch consisting of Buffalo wings ($13) and an order of fries ($3.35).

• On 1/17/2103 McCullough had the City pay for Cheesecake and a side of fries.

Once again, no one cares what McCullough eats. But when she lectures us in detail that she eats “very very healthy”, you have to wonder. Wonder no more. Fries, Buffalo wings, cheesecake, and cheese-its obviously aren’t part of a very very healthy diet.

SUMMARY

McCullough’s claims that she works all day for the City without getting the chance to eat and the idea that she eats “very very healthy” are both disproved by the evidence. Why on Earth McCullough chooses to lie about such details is beyond comprehension.

Tomorrow we’ll preview the City Council meeting