Kachmar: Bethlehem Needs a Forensic Audit

John Kachmar devoted most of his career to local government. He was the Republican nominee for Bethlehem Mayor. Voters preferred Willie Reynolds. But in the wake of recent criminal charges filed against Bethlehem's Budget Director, Kachmar's message of fiscal accountability has proven to be correct. In a message he posted on this blog, he is calling for a forensic audit. Here's what he says:

The Sivak story has many missing pieces. Not missing by you , Bernie, missing by the City of Bethlehem's actions. Sivak was the Finance Director for the City, the highest paid non- political fiscal officer. The discovery of his wrong doing was made by the Controllers office in January. An investigation took several months to uncover relatively "low hanging fruit " theft involving PayPal and and the sale of electronics ( cell phones, primarily) to the tune of 12,000 plus dollars. Sivak had access to all city accounts and fiscal transactions. He reported to the the Business Administrator ( a political appointee with no previous fiscal management experience, who has questionable ethical issues involving the hiring of his wife). The Business Administrator reports to a new mayor who has no management experience nor fiscal management experience. Suspicion focuses on Sivak who remains employed during the "investigative period". The Controller ( an elected official) conducts the investigation without outside neutral help and the City Police Department ( which I hold in high regard) is asked to investigate a "white collar" crime ( a skill set not normally performed). Publicaly everyone is patting themselves on their backs stating " we caught the misdeeds and wrongdoer". Did they ? Or is there more wrongdoing and possible theft ? There are many ways you can resolve corruption in municipal government . Let me outline one that is normally used by other local governments that have had similar problems involving theft. You need to keep in mind that "caught wrongdoers" will always "cop" to a lesser crime. That is called self preservation. Sometimes , those who supervise them are complicit and welcome their silence. Sivak's misdeeds (at least for this alleged theft) occurred during a multi- year period (under The Business Administrator's supervision ). How did his misdeeds go unnoticed ? Sivak had a dual role, he was also Budget Director. He was constructing city budgets while purportedly stealing at the same time. He was signing off on expenditure of city, state, and federal revenue sources. Did he "tamper " with other funding that exposed the city to "unallowable" costs ? Was he "directed" to do so. Is there documentation to his actions during and before this alleged crime took place? 

Here in this democracy called the United States we have different branches of government that are supposed to function as "checks and balances". The Bethlehem City Council needs to be seen by the public as "involved and accountable" . They can do this by demanding a Forensic Audit be performed by a forensic auditor whose selection they oversee. No cover-ups, no one forgiven for lack of oversight ...... An honest accounting of the city's financing and a renewal of that concept called Public Trust. Transparency and public release of findings would be a welcomed outcome for a City that has too often operated in the Shadows.