Gehrig Saldana

We now know DISD will pay more than the $1 Million the school board has already approved by vote to investigate the DISD credit fraud card issue.

The representation agreement letter signed by Dr. Michael Hinojosa and Attorney Paul E. Coggins of Fish & Richardson P.C. includes provisions for DISD to additionally pay any and all costs of services of forensic accountants, private investigators and document services specialists. After reading all depositions posted on www.Dallas.Org and www.DallasNews.com. I have a better understanding on what criteria is used by Fish & Richardson P.C. to determine why only approximately 200 of the reportedly 1,200 DISD employees identified as inappropriately using the DISD credit card will be interviewed.

There are five criteria.

One criteria is you have to be among the top 100 spenders of the DISD issued credit cards. That eliminates the remaining 1,100 DISD employees who have been identified as inappropriately using their DISD issued credit card.

Another criteria is you have to spend more than $2,500 cumulative between three major vendors where a lot of gift cards were purchased from Wal-Mart, Target and Home Depot. This criteria eliminates any DISD employee who may have charged anything under $2,500?

Another criteria dictates DISD employees using their DISD issued credit card have to spend at least $1,000 using their DISD issued credit card at department stores like Dillard's, Foley's, Ross, Marshall's, TJ Maxx, Kohl's, JC Penneys, Sears, and places where purchases may or may not have an educational purpose in order to be among those 200 of 1,200 DISD credit card spenders who will be interviewed by Fish & Richarson P.C.

So, DISD employees who used their DISD issued credit card for any purchases under $1,000 from the aforementioned department stores will not be interviewed, as well?

I am saddened DISD has hired a law firm that is recommending what appears to be a negotiated rule of law methodology in their investigation of the credit card scandal. Lets hope the FBI and the Dallas County District Attorney's office do not accept the previously mentioned criteria guidelines to guide them towards assuring DISD stakeholders everyone found guilty of credit card fraud of any degree are punished to the full extent of the law.

I encourage everyone to read all of the depositions. The more I read, the more I believe the DISD is not addressing this investigation in a manner that will hold every DISD employee criminally accountable who may have committed fraud/abuse with their DISD issued credit card.

I am equally concerned that no member on the DISD school board has yet to voice concern over what appears to be an investigation that may recommend anything less than criminal charges for each and every DISD employee found to have committed credit card fraud of any degree with their DISD issued credit card.

More to follow.

Gehrig Saldana