An Examiner Editorial's archive

In this space last week, we expressed regret at the timidity of Beaumont Independent School District superintendent-in-waiting Dr. Timothy Chargois, who did not see fit to instruct his attorneys to remove an ill-gotten clause in his contract granting him an automatic pay raise despite the stated objections of virtually the entire BISD board. The board’s outside counsel Tanner Hunt allowed the clause to somehow slip into the contract.

That’s the amount of a phony invoice submitted by electrical contractor Calvin Walker to the Beaumont Independent School District. Walker admitted as part of his plea deal he “altered” that $382,975.32 invoice. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney, the invoice actually turned out to be a quote and was not a purchase order, thus the items the invoice slated for purchase were never actually bought by Walker – and Walker’s check payable to that wholesaler in the amount of $382,975.32 was never presented to the wholesaler or negotiated.