OPINION: Malfeasance at Economic Development Authority

I agree with Attorney John S, Bell in his article in the Examiner on March 20, 2019, that it is time for a Special Grand Jury to investigate the EDA and its operations, investments, relationship over the past years.

Note the following are from articles in the Northern Virginia Daily and the Royal Examiner.

1. Way too much secrecy on audits, Board meetings, investment deals, auditor relationships over the last years;
2. Missing/losses of funds on highly questionable real estate deals (EDA-ITFederal and the $500,000 missing for a “dream or scam” of a  Police Academy);
3. No proof exists that either of these projects were legitimate and not fraudulent, because the documents were stolen in a “break-in” of the EDA office;
4. Exceptional gambling winnings of an estimated $1.5 to $1.8 million dollars. in Ms. McDonald’s words – over three years $800,000 in 2017 and $500,000 in each of the prior two years. The winnings were from slot machines and “slot machines – have the lowest odds of winning”. (Best Bets at the Casino);
5. A business partnership between Ms. McDonald, the Warren County Sheriff Daniel McEathron and Da Boyz (Ms. McDonald’s real estate business) purchasing and estimated $3 million dollars (including $1 million in cash) in real estate deals; Ms McDonald holds three Real Estate Board Licenses (2 as an individual and 1 as a real estate firm);
6. A peculiar transaction in which McEathron and McDonald sold property from one of the real estate deals back to the original owners within a short time of purchase at a loss of $600,000-fraud/money laundering?;
7. The real estate investments Ms. McDonald made in recent years under the banner of her personal real estate company “Da Boyz” would appear to be a serious conflict with her EDA responsibilities.

You might get the idea that something is very wrong with the operations of the EDA. I suggest that an outside investigative team and prosecutor be used because of the cross relationships between the parties in the above actions.

Robert Funk
Front Royal, Virginia