Just days after taking brick bats for his questionable endorsement of a five-day Republican running in a district legislative race, it turns out Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker has much more serious issues to deal with.
Today’s Arizona Republic, which often features Parker in the Sunday Viewpoints section, reveals that that Parker submitted misleading information in order to qualify his diversity oriented business, VBP Group, LLC, for certification through a government agency. Based on his falsified filing, Parker received a contract worth $1.2 million dollars from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The contract paid VBP Group to coach small businesses on how to apply for government contracts.
The SBA’s Office of the Inspector General, an independent arm that investigates claims of fraud and abuse within the federal agency, has released the complete report. The report is based on findings of an investigation into VBP Group’s 8(a) certification that the Office of the Inspector General conducted from Feb. 11 to June 2.
In addition to placing blame on Parker, the Office of the Inspector General also criticized the SBA for not conducting a thorough review of the documents he submitted. Parker, who was recently appointed Mayor of Paradise Valley, the affluent community where he resides, applied for certification through the SBA’s 8(a) program for disadvantaged businesses in February 2006.
Following the four month investigation into Parker’s false reporting, the SBA started “debarment” procedures, which would prohibit Parker from obtaining other federal contracts.
“I went through pains . . . to sit down with the SBA even before I submitted the application and to ask them page by page, ‘Is this accurate?’” he said.
July 24, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Would someone please explain why a guy who lives in Paradise Valley has any reason to apply for government funded certification programs for DISADVANTAGED businesses? Even if he wasn’t accused of submitting fraudulent claims, and everything was on the up and up, this is way over the top!
How absolutely offensive to use other people’s money to fund his lavish lifestyle.
July 24, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Both Parker and Tony Bouie, the Democrat who became a Republican five days before filing for a legislative run, have benefited from other people’s money for business set-asides.
One was a pro-football player and the other a DC government appointee. Seems they would each have had some personal funding. Why are others always accused of playing the “race card?“ These schemes sound like one heck of a swell deck of cards to me!
July 24, 2008 at 2:57 pm
We’ve got an elected official who owns his own company who violates the law in order to mislead the government to help him have an unfair advantage over his competitors, who endorses a candidate fot elected office that owns his own company and wants to mislead the voters while asking the government to help him have an unfair advantage over his competitors all the while receiving his major fundraising from businesses who hire illegal aliens so they can enjoy and unfair and illegal advantage over their competitors.
Is there anything these people do that is legal OR ethical? Sounds like Democrats.
The Kennedys and bootleggers, the Daleys and the mafia, Pastor and the Mexican mafia, etc, It explains more fully why LaVecke and company are in league with scoundrels like Parker and Bouie.
July 24, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Well, of course Parker would hire Paul Charlton. Vernon Parker will be on the ballot running as a Precinct Committeeman in District 11’s Camelhead precinct. Charlton’s wife, Susan, is also running for a slot in Kaibab precinct. They join PV Councilwoman Ginny Simpson, also of Camelhead, in attempting to effect a McCoup to overthrow long-standing conservative PC’s in the district. It’s all part of the McCain strategy to batter conservatives in favor of Lefties. Well, this is what you get!
These newly recruited even have the decent Republican Maricopa County Chairman, Tom Husband, in their sights. Their despicable efforts are without merit or rationality and they seem to stop at nothing in their attempts to harm grassroots active Republicans. This is but a taste of what McCain offers.
July 24, 2008 at 4:14 pm
That’s why he’s smiling, Maggie.
July 24, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Hey, who’s stupid here? Vernon Parker has taken his family on a New Zealand vacation, and you’re here in the middle of a blazing hot Phoenix summer!
July 24, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Don’t forget the McCain crew is also determined to oust the District Chairman, Rob Haney, They want to destroy the Republican party–and they’re doing it with John McCain’s blessing.
Their aim is to replace all of the hardworking conservatives, the ones who actually do the work of the party, with folks in spike heels and Gucci’s who you can bet won’t be going door-to-door registering Republicans and recruiting other party workers. They find each other in the lofty towers along Camelback Road. That’s only after they finish at the salons and trendy bistros.
July 24, 2008 at 5:13 pm
These are the same wealthy power brokers who are raising hundreds of thousand of dollars to take out their # 1 target Russell Pearce. McCain and most of what remains of the Republican delegation are pulling all the strings behind the up front skirts of Republican RINO fund raiser Shiree Verdone, her latest left wing PC sidekick, Travis Junion, from LD8 and McCain’s Chief of staff, Paul Hickman, PC candidate from LD 15.
Is it any wonder why conservatives are luke warm toward McCain? How about the latest poll of Hispanics….Obama 66%, McCain 23%. Even after all his pandering to the hate America Hispanic organizations. looks like they don’t trust him any more that conservatives do. Appears God’s children don’t trust the straight talk express.
July 24, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Charlie:
You sound as though you know what you’re talking about. Thanks for the heads up.
As to the Hispanic support McCain is receiving–he’s getting exactly what he deserves. Democrats support other Democrats. Regardless of his left leaning bent, Dems would rather vote for someone with a “D” after their name. He is getting his just desserts for abandoning the Republican activists. I would never again lift a finger to help him or Kyl. I’ve done it for too many years to get this treatment now. We elephants have long memories.
July 24, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Sideliner-
You’re claiming Haney does the work of the party?? HA! Hardly! Since he’s taken over, district meeting and activism numbers have dropped to nearly a third of what they were under the previous Chairman Haney (No relation). All Haney does is complain about McCain and I got sick of going last year..
Bottom line, this talk about Haney or the PAChyderms doing anything constructive for the party is Pure BS! Get over yourselves.
July 25, 2008 at 8:55 am
Vernon Parker is on the RINO slate of PC’s for District 11. Thanks for the heads-up seeingred.
July 25, 2008 at 12:53 pm
This Parker guy certainly sounds like someone who needs preferential treatment. What a hoax.
July 25, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Dubner is typical of liberals whether they be in the Democrat or Republican parties.
It seems to me that when ever the liberals don’t get their way, it is all the fault of conservatives. Again, since Haney led a group of conservatives who replaced an Dist Exec Board which had two “out of the closet homosexuals” on the board, he is now the Devil incarnate right up there with Jessie Helms and Tom Delay.
No matter that the previous area, prior to redistricting, used to be Represented in the State Legislature by Representatives Deb Gullett, & Steve May and Senator Sue Gerard. That was before Haney and his terrible conservatives were redistricted into the area and help replace that gang of Ultra RINOs with true conservatives, Allen, Tully, and Leff.
Any wonder that 10 of the RINO PCs from Dist 11 who endorsed Napolitano for governor are upset that McCain’s elitist Republicans were unable to defeat Haney’s conservatives? Any wonder why illegal alien advocates Andrew Pacheco, Mac Magruder & Fife Symington and their supporters don’t come to District meetings?
No Matter. It is all Haney’s fault that the whole national Republican base has been split by McCain’s policies. Haney is undoubtedly also responsible for global warming and the energy crisis. I bet he works for Halliburton. That devil Haney must be more powerful than I ever imagined.
Oh, and you might check with the State Party HQ to ask them who were the four award winners from Dist 11 (far more than any other District) recognized at the last State Dinner for their volunteerism in saving the party once the liberals abandoned ship because conservatives were elected to leadership positions.
July 30, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I am a very good friend of Vernon. He has done nothing wrong. Before he was elected mayor, this false accusation started by a reporter who is obviously racist, biased, or doesn’t like Parker some some apparent reason. It is amazing how this one guy who doesn’t like him is able to inflict views and change people’s opinions. There have been many Paradise mayors and now that he is elected mayor, the reporter gets even more power by putting “Paradise Valley Mayor in trouble…” This one person can change the views of so many people and they don’t know him, have any accurate information, or don’t understand the situation. The reporter is accusing Parker of these allegations because he doesn’t want him in office. It is possible that the reason for this is his ethnicity. Just by a simple report, this allegation has turned into a witch hunt and I am both troubled and hurt by these false allegations.
August 1, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Jim:
Your friend Vernon Parker was NOT elected. He was appointed to the position of Paradise Valley Mayor. If you lived in the area, you would know that.
If you truly believe he is accused of wrongdoing because of his race, how do you account for the fact that he has worked for the First Bush administration in Washington. DC? Was he hired to that job or appointed as mayor of an exclusive community because the people are racists and bigots? That is preposterous! It’s an easy and fallacious fallback when the truth is too difficult to accept.
I hope you rethink your allegations. Loyalty is a fine attribute, but can be taken too far. The facts are clear in the case against Parker.
December 15, 2008 at 1:41 pm
[...] Red AZ previously covered Parker’s travails last July. Here is the Republic’s second round with [...]