Yesterday, the Wyandotte County coroner confirmed that BPU official Marc Conklin committed suicide. An autopsy revealed that the 44-year-old former chief administrative officer of the utility had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Wednesday.
In the last couple of years, I've written quite a bit about Conklin. Every story a negative one, starting with an expose on credit card abuses ("Lunch Money," November 30, 2006) by high-ranking
officials at the utility -- namely, Conklin. Sources with solid information helped me figure out how Conklin and
others had spent thousands of dollars on pricey lunches at the Savoy
Grill, the Cigar Box and other metro restaurants.
After that first story ran, I remember sitting in a conference room at the BPUs offices. I was supposed to meet with General Manager Don Gray. Instead, waiting for me were Gray, Conklin, then-spokeswoman Susan Allen and board member
Bob Milan. I felt a little ambushed (maybe intentionally,
maybe not). The
meeting probably lasted an hour. The only thing I really remember from that meeting is
Conklin repeatedly saying he wasn't mad at me. The way he said it -- and repeated it over and over and over -- I got the feeling he was protesting too much. I didn't care. The way I saw it -- and still see it -- the BPU's big shots were screwing the ratepayers.
Months later, the BPU's Ethics Commission condemned the spending by Conklin and other execs as "significant abuses."
I wrote "Monopoly Boy" (October 14, 2008) about the indictments of Conklin and Rodney L. Turner, an attorney who contracted with the BPU, for allegedly stealing $400,000 from the BPU. Wyandotte County prosecutors alleged that Conklin knowingly approved payment for fake bills submitted by Turner over a five-year period.
The story was actually more of a profile of Conklin, his rise to power within the BPU and his business dealings with WyCo powerbrokers such as Pat Scherzer. I wrote:
If the allegations are true, the indictments are the beginning of theend of a surging career that made Conklin one of the most powerful
players at the utility. Conklin served as the utility's general counsel
for 10 years and also managed the human resources department until his
promotion to chief administrative officer. Conklin was in line to
succeed Don Gray as the next general manager of the BPU, according to a
former manager at the utility.
felt sorry for him or bad about writing the stories. I don't. It just seems weird. Really, if Conklin were found guilty,
how much prison time would he have faced? Probably none. Most likely
probation. So none of this made sense. But yeah, it kind of does.
I remember rolling my eyes while reading how Conklin gushed in February 2008 meeting minutes about what "great opportunities" he'd been given at the
BPU and how much he "loves the place" and how important family was and how he wanted to be a good father, husband and son.
After hearing about his suicide, I thought about these lines and
how maybe they were true. But with the indictment, the great opportunities at the BPU were gone. And if reports of a divorce are true, then maybe his family was, too.
I
don't feel sad or sorry for Conklin. I feel sad for his fatherless sons.
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I will wait for the news.... very patiently. Patience... Patience. All will come out.
It's not on the radar just yet, but a BPU case is being investigated by the Labor Department. When it comes to light, some people are going to realize there's more corruption at BPU than you can shake a water meter at.
I used to have a site about this topic, but it attracted so many spam comments I had to shut it. You appear to have a better spam filter! Congratulations!
And all the charges get dismissed. I guess I did not have a very good case. I feel guilty now.
I read the story in the Kansan and all it says is that Rick Yarnell is suing for wrongful termination. It doesn't say why he was let go. From what I heard he wasn't let go because he questioned the ethics of the spending, but because they brought in an external audit grp to do the job correctly and his audit grp was not doing it. Anyone actually know the facts on why he was let go? I would think if he was really doing the job correctly and was fired for it, it would have been all over the papers. Like everything else was.
Dear Media Mutters,
During the election the media did crap on the citizens. They were not give the whole truth about Loretta Dumbell oops I mean colombel. She owes the county almost $1000 in taxes and the state over $100,000. The media was given a copy of all case files and did not print it. TJ Reardon's 20 year old case was blasted all over. Ellison's news was printed in the Kansan. See the way I see it is that if you are going to print the facts then print the facts. Taking the side of a select few is protecting what the citizens have a right to know.
I would expect news this week. If Turner is going to plea out.. He will have to do it soon. I don't think he can blame Conklin for everything. My guess is that Gorman has a crapload of evidence and is chomping for the trial, or prison time in a plea. My guess is that Turner has to plea for short jail, versus long jail guilty verdict.
btw, the audit story was also in the Pitch, in a story posted Tuesday, Feb. 17 2009.
so all you folks thinking the media is crapping on you and hiding stuff - do a few seconds of research before you go spouting off.
to Interesting:
I call bullcr*p on your comment. There's no way you went to the courthouse, and talked to 15 current BPU employees to find nothing, when a 10 second web search finds the story in the Kansan.
If you really did that then you wasted a whole bunch of time. And you need better sources.
Yeah, the kansan never answered that question. they are basically becoming the newsletter for bpu
For all you so-called bpu investigators;
Here is the article from the kc kansan:
Rick Yarnell, the former director of the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities' Internal Audit Department, has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the BPU and the Unified Government.
We're trying to get a hold of Yarnell's attorney for more information, and a BPU spokesman said he would try to get further comment later today.
It's interesting that this so called firing of the audit team can't be found anywhere. I talked to about 15 different BPU employees that are in different departments and none has heard of this happening. Couldn't find anything at the courthouse either. This must be the best kept secret around. Justin why don't you research this and find out if there is any truth to it. At this point it sure doesn't look like it.
Eliza,
Why has the alledged firing and lawsuit of the internal audit dept. at BPU NOT been reported by the media? Why were the 2008 board travel expenses of over $34,0000.00 NOT reported by the media? How come Colombels back taxes of thousands of dollars NOT reported by the media? Certain folks are probably feeling really untouchable now. Just about every media source in KC has the info. So, before you disregard Eliza's comments on a lawsuit filed by x-bpu auditors or who ever. Go to the court house it's probably just sitting there for all to see. Unless the BPU has maybe sealed these documents until after the elections. I am expecting there will be alot of things coming out AFTER the elections. Have you heard about this Mung church thing? There's lots of people out there's certain incumbants BPU & UG purchasing votes. Maybe this is worth looking into. I am not sure if this is legal or not. Any attorney legal advice out there? To Mr HR Manager above. Have you taken the time to visit the WYCO Court house to look for lawsuit filings on the auditors filings? If you did look and didfind it would you REPORT it? Probably not.
There's always recalls. FOOD for thought.
It is not unusual that the BPU doesn't own the BPU building. If you were to investigate it, you'd find that the EPA building and the FBI building aren't owned by either agency as well.
If Alvey's background is any judge, you don't have to worry about him getting sucked in. His father was as honest as the day was long and his uncle didn't care who he angered as long as he fealt he was doing right by his constituency.
You are right though, he is only one vote on a board that is ripe with corruption. Hopefully he will shame the others into doing what is right.
I hope Alvey is tough and won't get sucked in. He will be outnumbered and they will test his ethics. Freeze the education trips. Have the presenters come here. Make heat pumps affordable. Eliminate ALL of the shady contracts. BID BID BID BID BID. the law firms and the insurance conractors.. everyone! And why is the BPU office building not even owned by BPU, or the UG? It is owned by a KCMO entity. Who owns the BPU building?
I am glad Alvey is it as well. The thing is he is only one person. He will be working with the dark force of the others. I do believe he will do the right thing and hope that he will put their bad buisness out for all to see.GO DAVID!!!!!!
If Alvey has the same personality as his Uncle Ed, rest assured things will get stirred up.
Great to see he got elected despite all the trade unions in WYCO endorsing his opponent.
Oh ya we were crapped on by the media. Its a shame that they did not put it out in the news. They were glad to air TJ's OLD news but dear OLD dumbell she got away with her taxes staying hush hush. Wonder what that cost her girl Sue? Oh well, there is still the KBI looking into Conklins documents. Lets hope he left enough to fry the fry cook and her pal Mary.
It would be nice to see them hauled out in hand cuffs for raping the ratepayers of their hard earned money. That would be the sweetest revenge he could leave.
I for one will stay informed of the circus about to come to town with them back in.
ONCE AGAIN WYANDOTTE COUNTY VOTERS WENT TO THE POLLS UNIFORMED, NO THANKS TO THE MEDIA WHO FOR MONTHS HAVE HAD IMPORTANT INFORMATION PERTAINING TO INCUMBANTS(CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS) IN THE BPU RACE. wE DID GET DAVID ALVEY ELECTED, THIS IS A GOOD THING. HE'S GOING TO HAVE A TOUGH ROAD AHEAD ALONE. TWO FINE CANDIDATES LYN SMITH AND HEATHER DELEON GAVE TWO BPU INCUMBANTS A STRONG RUN FOR THERE MONEY. THE DELEON, COLOMBEL RACE IS STILL OUT WITH PROVISIONAL COUNTS STILL BEING READ. COLOMBEL LEADING BY 30 VOTES. DELEON RAN AN IMPRESSIVE RACE FOR A NEW- COMER. LYNN SMITHS NUMBERS WON OVER SWEET MARY GONZALES. WOW!WE DREW QUALITY CANDIDATES THIS TIME ROUND. HOPEFULLY THEY WIII BE CONTENDERS IN FUTURE ELECTIONS. ONCE AGAIN OUR VOTERS WERE LED TO THE POLES UNINFORMED BY OUR MEDIA. INCUMBANTS WITH TAX WARRANTS AND EXCESSIVE BOARD TRAVEL EXPENSES WERE NOT PUBLISHED AT THE REQUEST OF SEVERAL CITIZENS IN WYCO. HAD THE MEDIA REPORTED OBJECTIVELY ON THESE ISSUES THESE CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS WOULD BE OUT.
SORRY FOR ALL THE MISLED VOTERS IN WYCO THANK YOUR LOCAL MEDIA. I'M SURE THE ISSUES WILL BE PRINTED AFTER THE ELECTION.
The BPU board still has a four lane highway to ram through their crap. Expect more hubby and wife trips on the taxpayer dime to "educational" trips to Puerto Rico, Cozumel, Seattle, Savannah etc.. Oh.. and they will do it.
FYI- i'm pretty sure there is a lawsuit that has been filed by someone in the internal audit division-for wrongful termination
I have been a manager in Human Resource for over 20 years and have fired many managers and occupational employees. If this is true was a lawsuit filed? In order to fire someone you MUST have documentation proving the reason you fired them so it would stand up in court. If these were occupational employees where was the union? I can hardly beleive that the union would not have fought this. When did his suppose firing happen?
Great question! So Eliza you work for BPU? Are you in this Internal Audit group?
Really Eliza! So why hasn't anything came out about that yet? Why did that not become news in this wonderful paper? You would think that those who got fired would file a lawsuit since it is unfair practice.
to curious:
So you think the "biggest bout of blame should lie on the employees who paid the bills". Really?
Do you know what happened when the BPU's own internal audit division reported on the theft that Conklin did? Conklin and Gray eliminated the division and fired the audit staff (except for Sue Scherzer's son).
Lesson learned by the rest of the BPU staff is, if you fear for your job, don't rock the boat.
OMG!!!!!
How in the H E L L did Colombel win by thirty votes? After all of the money she spent and all the sign pulling she should have taken it by a land slide. Lets hope that all of her tactics back fire on her. The official count will not be in until Monday. One can only hope that all the money spent and all of the sign pulling was all done in vein and she looses. I dont think the patepayers can take another term of the same old crap! I for one will not take it and will be moving out of this city very soon. Wyco politics are for the birds.
I don't think the blame should all land on Marc, Leon, etc for charging lunches/drinks what have you. The biggest about of blame should lie on the employees who paid the bills/credit cards. Who are these people? Did they not notice what was on the receipts? I approve & process all transactions of purchases at my company, but the actual credit card company does not get paid until final approval from our finance grp is given. Those representatives are responsible to make sure all purchases are in line with the company guidelines. If they are not it is reported back. Was Marc & Leon the finance department that paid off these bills?
All this talk about Marc is sick. Get reall this has been going on for years. Marc just got caught up in it. The problem is because of statue of limitations they can't go after the ones who started it all. Furthermore I have a expense account to take out clients, but be have guidleines such as a limitation on how much can be spent also no alcohol can be purchased. Do we really need to have alcohol to make a deal? I make alot of deals over lunch at no more than 25.00 each and no alcohol involved. Are they so inadequate that they can't make a deal with out getting the client drunk. If you don't have limitations and good guidelines set this is what will happen. It will be the same no matter who you vote in if guidelines are not changed. Also to Hollinsworth - why would Daggert need to supply alcohol and drinks for a socuial function for his employees. The employees pay a monthly dues to pay for thier social events.
DON GRAY IS NOT RUNNING FOR OFFICE.
THREE INCUMBANTS ARE RUNNING:
VOTE OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JONES BPU OUT
COLOMBEL BPU OUT
GONZALESBPU OUT
LETS FOCUS ON GETTING THEM OUT. TODAY!
TUES. APRIL 7TH, 2009
OUR VOTE DOES COUNT!
THREE CANDIDATES WITH EXCEPTIONAL BACKGROUNDS AND NO BPU TIES! ARE RUNNING.
VOTE THEM IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DAVID ALVEY
HEATHER DELEON
LYNN SMITH
VOTE FOR THE WINNING TEAM AND BRING A FRESH, OBJECTIVE BPU BOARD DEDICATED TO CHANGE AT BPU.
I agree with x-bpued - not only does Gray have a degree, he has 3! And was in his 50's when he earned his MBA. No wonder other utilities are trying to hire him away. You don't see him hanging with any of the "players" - only board members when there's a function he's required to attend with them. As far as golfing with Columbel at Dubs - straight out lie!
Seems to me that most everyone is sick of the same players with the exception of a few bed mates. I hope and pray for the sake for K.C.,Ks that these same OLD board members do not get back in. I am a life long resident of KCK and I have had enough of the same OLD s..t! We keep hearing the same OLD song and dance but NOTHING has changed, it has only become worse. I am going to vote Tuesday and when I do I will be praying the whole time. We must change what has been going on in our city way to long!
If the same OLD folks get back in I will push for the utility to be sold or for the board to be done away with. Those folks will not help us any more that they have in the past few years, rob us blind. I am sick of my money being used to fatten up a select few.
VOTE THEM OUT!!!!!!!!!!
Hey elected official... You say you want more good jobs moving to WYCO???
Then stop letting flaky insiders control all of the sweet contracts.
Vote:
Alvey
Deleon
Smith
Nothing will change if we don't vote for it.
Jones is an outright idiot. says nothing for his whole term then speaks up once, to take a populace stance just before the election.
Gonzoles and Columbel (Jones as well) are in bed with too many undesirable (Scherzer crew) figures that honest people wish the authorities would expose for what they are:
An organized crime syndicate.
La Costra Nostra has nothing on this group.
ENOUGH ALREADY'
LET'S START FRESH AND VOTE IN A WINNING TEAM AT BPU APRIL 7TH. YOUR VOTE DOES COUNT!
VOTE:
DAVID ALVEY BPU
HEATHER DELEON BPU
LYNN SMITH BPU
I DO HAVE TO AGREE WITH STUDIES BPU, DON GRAY IS A DEDICATED EMPLOYEE HE HAS WORKED HIS WAY TO THE TOP AND WAS NOT JUST PUT THERE FOR WHO HE KNEW-ATLEAST HE IS ONE OF THE FEW IN A MANAGEMENT POSITION AT THAT LEVEL THAT HAS A DEGREE.
STUDIES BPU:THIS SCREED MUST HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY JIM(BUCKY)MASON WHO WAS PROMOTED BY HIS DRINKING BUDDY GRAY.NO SUPRISE HERE,LONG LETTER BUCKY,SUPRISED YOU COULD WRITE SOMETHING THIS LONG
RipNpine a little harsh i wouldnt say he did anyone of favor-i would not wish thoughts of suicide or death on anyone-let alone following through with it-i guess i should back myself up a bit and not say bad things about anothers character i too am no angel-i just feel bad for the pain that his wife and children are enduring and it gets a little frustrating when everyone is taking up for his actions when his poor wife and children had their whole world changed because of some tasteless decisions. they didnt ask for any of this or deserve it for that matter-jill is a strong woman and will make sure her family will survive this
which sleazy bars did sandy hang out at?
Sickened is right! we do NEED more people like mark! Now if they would do themselves in before stealing money and keeping company with whores of all walks of life maybe we could improve the image here in WYCO instead of having the corrupt tag placed on everything by these felons actions.
maybe they will do the easy route too and eat a bullet! We couldnt get that lucky!!
Get out and vote!
its funny how much you learn about people and the places they work when they're intoxicated- i can name several married people that work for the city and bpu that were kissing all over a co worker but the next nite they would show up with their spouses
sorry sandy i'm not a bitter x bpu employee
nor was i ever a bartender-the bars i worked at werent so sleazy they were in the legends and u were probaly the one of the skanks that was a regular
To x-bpued,
I know who you are now, yea worked, work in a couple of real sleazy bars. Bar skuz reputation, not even a good bartender. X-BPU EMPLOYEE, BITTER. na grama skil eiter. te-he te-he da!
u said it- i bet the people defending him are the ones that ran with him, ever heard the saying you reap what you sow?
"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."
Unless he WANTS to drink.
Marc drank. He was a willing co-conspirator. An honorable man would have exposed the corruption for what it was. He was not honorable.
and the only people in this situation that has been punished and that will pay for this is his family they are in my prayers, he took the easy (chicken way out) what dedicated father abandons two young children.
first im not trying to judge anyone it is true only god can judge any of us-yet a womanizer to me is someone he is unfaithful to their spouse on several occasions, and too gets caught in bed by their own wife im not throwing stones to me he wasnt such a great guy to his wife-yes innocent til proven guilty but accusation show he wasnt so loyal to his job either, everyone makes their own bed in life why would you expect his so called friends to stop him from making poor decisions when they were right along there with him, and he was dating a stripper a dark complected one just to prove its the truth, have you ever heard of leading a double life
anonymous: Every heard of "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink?" I don't believe he was drinking from the same troth that some of the WYCO regulars were drinking from. Marc was a good man, the horrible comments that people are making about him are unjust. Everyone at some point will answer to god! Someone other than him, ruined his life. That's more than sad. I hope those people get what's coming to them. WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND........
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