82 credit cards at STRS? Perhaps ANOTHER tip of the iceberg?

From Dennis Leone, October 27, 2006

Subject: Point of Clarification -- Credit Cards

The 5th credit card was in the possession of Billirakis. His was discontinued when he quit in September. Ramser said last Friday that the other 4 have been turned in. Of those 4, Puckett had his from the "old" days. I recall calling him 2 years ago and asking him if he had one. When he told me that he DID have one, I told him I felt he should turn it in. He did not. My memory is clear on this. I doubt that Damon asked either Billirakis or Puckett to turn in their credit cards when he retrieved all of the staff's credit cards. Regarding the cards that were given to Ramser, Cervantes, and Chapman, I don't know whether Damon advised them how it would look for them to have them given that staff had turned in their cards.

My 2003 report listed STRS as having 52 credit cards -- a figure given to me by Herb Dyer. A follow-up article by Paul Kostyu that year revealed that STRS actually had 82 credit cards. Don't know where Paul got that, but he might have been more accurate. What is a fact is that years ago, a credit card was used by a board member to purchase alcohol at a beach bar in Honolulu. STRS paid the bill. What the current board needs to understand is that with the recent history we have, it just makes no sense for ANYONE to have a credit card, and it makes no sense for STRS to pay American Express $55.00 annually for each credit card.

Dennis Leone
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From Shirlee Zerkel, October 27, 2006
Subject: Re: who?
Molly, Interesting information about who had or has the credit cards. Since Puckett has been on the board since we began complaining, he may have never had to give his up, but the other 3 or 4 have been new electees or appointees since the credit cards were taken away(?) a few years ago. These were newly issued and given (I feel) to secure that the board votes in favor of whatever Damon and crew wanted passed. To me that is NOT ETHICAL!
Shirlee