Emergency management chief takes blame for mishandled hurricane recovery grant

ONE SUSPECT WAS KILLED AND THE

OTHER TWO ARRESTED.

>>> MILLIONS OF YOUR TAX

DOLLARS MISHANDLED.

A 5 MILLION-DOLLAR GRANT WAS

AWARDED TO A GRANT TO HELP THE

POOR AND THE MAN WHO AWARDED

THAT GRANT IS TAKING THE BLAME.

>> AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE GOT

HEATED AND TENSE AS LAWMAKERS

PEPPERED STATE EMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT DIVISION DIRECTOR

ABOUT THIS NEW REPORT.

IT WAS PUT OUT BY THE STATE'S

WATCH DOG AGENCY AND SAID STATE

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS

SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN

HURRICANE RELIEF MONEY IN WAYS

STATE LAWMAKERS DID NOT DIRECT

THEM TO.

>> ACCORDING TO THE REPORT

AFTER HURRICANE MATTHEW

OFFICIALS GAVE A RELIEF GRANT

TO A NONPROFIT, THE NORTH

CAROLINA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

INITIATIVE.

SOME OF IT WAS USED TO REPAIR

STORM DAMAGE UNITS AND SOME WAS

USED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW

HOUSING IN THE COUNTIES.

EMERGENCY DIRECTOR SPRAYBERRY

DEFENDED THE DECISION.

>> THE DECISION TO USE THE

FUNDS WAS MINE AND BASED ON THE

PRESSING NEED TO GET SURVIVORS

INTO SUSTAINABLE LIVING

ACCOMMODATIONS.

>> HE TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR

VIOLATING A STATE GRANT LAW

BECAUSE HE SAID HE HAD NOT

AWARE OF IT.

THE REPORT ALSO SAYS SOME OF

THAT MONEY MAY HAVE GONE TO FOR

PROFIT DEVELOPERS LINKED TO THE

NONPROFIT.

REPRESENTATIVE CRAIG HORN IS

CHAIRMAN.

>> I THINK WE OWE IT TO THE

PEOPLE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR

THEIR MONEY.

AND PARTICULARLY IN A DISASTER.

LAWMAKERS FROM EFFECTED AREAS

DEFENDED SPRAYBERRY.

THEY POINTED OUT THE HURRICANE

DEVASTATED HOUSING.

REPRESENTATIVE BUTTER FIELD

REPRESENTS WILSON.

>> WHEN A MAJOR DISASTER COMES

GIVEN MY EXPERIENCE IN DOING

FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS, YOU

DON'T HAVE TIME TO DOT EVERY I

AND CROSS EVERY T BECAUSE YOU

ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THE

PEOPLE SURVIVE AND PEOPLE HAVE

WHAT THEY NEED.

>> THIS IS THE LATEST CHAPTER

AND ON GOING CONFLICT BETWEEN

LAWMAKER AND THE GOVERNOR'S

ADMINISTRATION.

THE LAWMAKERS SAY THE

ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN

MISHANDLING THE RELIEF AND

RECOVERY EFFORTS AFTER

HURRICANE MATTHEW AND FLORENCE

AND THEY INTEND TO CONTINUE