Report finds former Gettysburg Military Park superintendent in violation of ethics rules
A former Gettysburg National Military Park superintendent acknowledged numerous, alleged ethics violations discovered by an Inspector General investigation for the U.S. Department of the Interior, according to a report released Thursday.
The investigation revealed violations, alleged to be criminal, including submitting false travel vouchers and accepting more than $23,000 in meals, lodging and other gifts from non-government organizations as payment for services.
The office began an investigation in April 2017 after receiving an anonymous complaint about Ed Clark, who began serving as the park superintendent in 2014.
The complaint alleged that Clark violated ethics rules by soliciting funds on behalf of the Gettysburg Foundation, which runs the park's visitor center, according to the investigation report.
The foundation is a nonprofit group that helps fund preservation and educational programs at Gettysburg and Eisenhower parks.
Clark was reassigned to the Harper's Ferry Center in West Virginia on May 26, 2017, according to a National Park Service official, calling the move "in the best interest of regional and park needs" at that time. Lewis Rogers Jr. is serving as acting superintendent in Gettysburg until late November.
Clark was also alleged to have accepted travel funds from the Gettysburg Foundation and hosted a dinner party for his government employees paid for with foundation funds, according to the report.
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The investigation found that from February 2014 to October 2016, Clark traveled 27 times to attend foundation events. Clark failed to receive ethics approval from supervisors before taking those trips.
The trips involved flying in private airplanes, staying in expensive hotels and eating expensive meals, according to the report.
He was also functioning as the military park's liaison to the foundation without supervisory approval.
In September of 2015, Clark asked the foundation to pay for a dinner, which cost more than $6,000. This dinner was attended by Clark, National Park Service employees and foundation guests.
The dinner violated the ethics regulation that prohibits soliciting gifts from prohibited sources, the report states.
Clark acknowledged to investigators that he knew the ethics rules and the proper protocol for requesting approval.
He characterized receiving payments from the foundation without completing appropriate documentation as an "error" and accepting travel-related expenses as an oversight because of "sloppiness," the report states.
The inspector general coordinated this investigation with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. On Oct. 17, the inspector general was informed that the middle district declined prosecution, the report states.
"Following a thorough review of the relevant evidence, we concluded that the conduct did not rise to the level of criminal activity," Middle District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney Dave Freed stated.
Clark's lawyer, Barak Cohen, called the report a "gross injustice," adding that his client did not violate the law, according to the Associated Press.
A copy of the report was provided to the acting deputy director for the National Parks Service for "any action deemed appropriate."
The National Park Service stated that they appreciate the inspector general for investigating this case.
"The National Park Service is reviewing the Office of the Inspector General's findings and will take any and all appropriate action," Kathy Kupper, the National Park Service public affairs specialist, stated in an email.
The Gettysburg Foundation didn't have a comment because this was a federal issue and the allegations against Clark did not effect them, said Teddi Joyce, the foundations vice president of marketing and sales.
Attempts to reach Gettysburg National Military Park were unsuccessful on Thursday.
Allegations of Conflict of Interest at Gettysburg National Military Park