David "Hap" Clark settles an ethics complaint regarding the incomplete financial disclosure of his assets during last year's election.
By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET
Published October 15, 2003
NEW PORT RICHEY - Former County Commissioner David "Hap" Clark will pay a $300 fine for failing to list all of his assets on financial disclosure forms during last year's election.
The fine is part of a settlement with the state Commission on Ethics, which found probable cause in June that Clark filed "incomplete and inaccurate" forms, a violation of state law.
The unlisted assets on Clark's July 22, 2002, financial disclosure report - a personal bank account, personal stock and a certificate of deposit - were worth more than $200,000.
He filed amended reports in August 2002 that listed those assets, but "failed to mention the institutions or companies where these assets are held," according to Ethics Commission documents.
His amended net worth was $1.05-million. A former teacher and school administrator, Clark leased dock space and later sold his property to the SunCruz gambling boat business.
"It was an oversight on my part," Clark, 81, said of the unlisted assets. "I have a bookkeeper who takes care of my stuff, and I guess I didn't go to them to have them help me fill that thing out, and I inadvertently left some stuff out."
"I don't think I really did anything wrong, but when somebody reports it, they're going to look into it," he added. "I certainly don't have anything to hide."
Clark sat on the County Commission from 1992 to 2000, when he stepped down to run unsuccessfully for tax collector. He lost his bid in the 2002 Democratic primary against Commissioner Steve Simon, who has since switched to the Republican Party.
The ethics complaint was filed by Jeannette Doenges, an internal auditor who lives in New Port Richey. She said she is satisfied with the outcome.
"I think it will put other (politicians) on alert for things like this because the citizens have the right to pull public records," Doenges said. "We don't have to believe everything they say in the newspaper or any other form of media."
- Bridget Hall Grumet covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is bhall@sptimes.com
