Retiree to Sups: Can Conflicted Yancey

The Sun Herald and WXXV report today that retirees spoke out at the Jackson County Board of Supervisors meeting, asking supervisors to remove board attorney Paula Stennett-Yancey.

Karen Nelson with the Sun Herald writes:

In another issue, retiree Eddie Manning asked supervisors to have their long-time board attorney and legal adviser, Paula Yancey, step down until SRHS pension issues are resolved.

He said that people associated with her campaign last year for Chancery Court Judge are tied too closely with the SRHS issue and the county hospital system’s financial and legal problems.

Yancey lost in close race to incumbent Neil Harris.

“I feel like it’s a conflict of interest that her campaign manager in the past, her treasurer and her friends still working at the hospital and her associating with them and then her being the board attorney,” Manning told the board. “Like a lot of other retirees, I feel like she needs to step down.”

Yancey’s campaign manager was Amy St. Pe’ with Dogan & Wilkinson, a law firm hired by SRHS that is named in the retirees’ complaint in Chancery Court. St. Pe’ is married to a top administrator in the county hospital system, Laurin St. Pe’.

Manning also said Roy Williams, the hospital’s attorney for more than four decades and named in the complaint, supported Yancey for Chancery Court judge.

Cumbest told Manning they would consider it.

After an executive session, Cumbest said they concluded that the board receives its legal advice on the SRHS issue from Ocean Springs attorney Billy Guice and not Yancey. The board hired Guice specifically to handle the hospital case.

Cumbest said, “I’ve heard it brought up before” about Yancey’s possible conflict, “but Paula doesn’t even represent the board on SRHS.”

Supervisor Melton Harris said the board doesn’t have anything to validate a charge of conflict.

This quote in particular stands out:

Cumbest said, “I’ve heard it brought up before” about Yancey’s possible conflict, “but Paula doesn’t even represent the board on SRHS.

This is flat out ignorance at best, prevarication at worst. The Board Attorney represents the county in all matters, SRHS or otherwise. What would you expect Cumbest, who donated to Yancey’s campaign, to say?

Recall that Dogan & Wilkinson argued that Judge Neil Harris should be recused due to some animus related to Robert Wilkinson or Amy St. Pe.  Neither of those attorneys represent Singing River, but are partners in the firm.  By Cumbest’s logic, Dogan & Wilkinson didn’t have a leg to stand on.

Paula Yancey attends and consults in every executive session, including those matters related to Singing River. For any supervisor to assert otherwise would be contrary to the minutes. Therefore, she “represents” the board on SRHS related matters.  The BoS is giving the public the old “smile ‘n’ nod” routine.

Assume Cumbest’s assertion that Yancey in no way represents or counsels the board on SRHS related matters. Why?  Is that because she has a conflict? Is her plate too full with other of county litigation and compliance issues? Is a matter of this complexity above her punching weight? If Yancey doesn’t represent the board on SRHS related matters, there should be a simple answer.

For those matters in which Ms. Yancey does represent the county, where would her conflicts begin and end?  A list is provided below of campaign committee members and donors for the reader to see other potential conflicts.

 Committee to Elect Paula Yancey

• Chairman: Amy St. Pe
• Co-chairman/Treasurer: Robert Wilkinson
• Finance Manger: Key Kell
• Campaign Manager: Robert Sema

Campaign Committee Members

1. Jacie Turner
2. Mickey Williams
3. Keith Davis
4. Dr. Alfred McNair
5. Jason Borries
6. Benny Lassiter
7. Jerry St. Pe
8. David Compton
9. Charles Persons
10. Kendall Smith
11. Wally Carter
12. Carroll Clifford
13. Roger Applewhite
14. Sharon Elkins
15. Connie Moran
16. Julie Cwikla
17. Dennis Cochran
18. Joe Talley
19. Jon Reynolds (Being sued by SRHS, business partner with Gentry Williams)
20. Diane Payne

Donors

1. Machado Patano PLLC
2. Alan Sudduth
3. Shaggy’s Biloxi LLC
4. MITAD, LLC
5. Family Frozen Foods, Inc.
6. Mark M. Seymour, Jr. (Seymour Engineering)
7. Seymour Engineering PLLC
8. Frankie Jones (Borries Construction)
9. Mike Clancy (Borries Construction)
10. M&D Construction
11. George Malvancey
12. Brown Finance, Inc.
13. Sandra Bosarge
14. Constance Seymour
15. Hayden Dent
16. Roger Applewhite
17. Wright Law Firm, PA
18. Amy St. Pe
19. Christy J. Wheeler
20. Connie M. Moran
21. Mrs. John Duncan Moran
22. Julie Cwikla
23. Ben M. Radcliff Contractor, Inc.
24. Diann M. Payne
25. Mrs. John P. Nations
26. Kathy Persons
27. Jon B & Michele Rivera
28. Robert A. & Jane Sema
29. George J Duggan
30. Dukes, Dukes, Keating, & Faneca, PA
31. Anita Purvis
32. Robert W. Wilkinson
33. Ben M. Radcliff, Jr.
34. Jason E. Borries
35. Roxanna Borries
36. JE Borries, Inc.
37. Jerry R. Wallace
38. Compton Engineering, Inc.
39. Burk-KleinPeter, Inc.
40. David Compton
41. Steven C. Edds
42. George P. Cumbest
43. Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership
44. Wallace W. Carter
45. Nathan Bosio (Partner, Dogan & Wilkinson)
46. Jill Anne Bosio  (Paralegel, Dogan & Wilkinson, mother of Nathan Bosio)
47. Kay J. Kell
48. Bent M. Smith
49. Geoffrey F. Clemens
50. Gail C. Lassistter (mother of Amy St. Pe)
51. Renee Pettis
52. Jerry St. Pe (father-in-law of Amy St. Pe)
53. Barry Cumbest
54. Jaclyn Turner
55. Gary S. Evans
56. Bryan Milling

Disbursements of Note

Frontier Strategies, LLC: General Consulting Services $21,741.29