PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP) — A state audit has found that Portsmouth’s spending of $40,000 in public money on an NFL player’s appearance wasn’t illegal.
But the audit says staff at the city’s Social Services Department violated normal contracting procedure when they arranged the July appearance by Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove.
Hargrove flew to Portsmouth to share his story about his troubled youth and recovery from drug use. The city-paid expenses included accommodations, a banquet and Hargrove’s fees for three two-hour training sessions.
The Virginian-Pilot (http://bit.ly/xQazL1 ) reports that Commonwealth’s Attorney Earle C. Mobley released the audit’s findings Monday. Mobley and Police Chief Ed Hargis had requested the audit in October.
