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Public told council leader's actions not their business
From the The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald, first published Friday 2nd Feb 2007.
North Wiltshire District Council leader Carol O'Gorman says it is not the public's business if or not she used a council franking machine to send out invites to the opening of a friend's business.
Coun O'Gorman was yesterday officially cleared of any wrong doing over the incident but the council is refusing to say who did use the machine to frank the invitations to a Calne shop.
Coun O'Gorman declined to comment on the details of the allegation. She said: "The public should be content with the the result they have been given.
"It is a private matter anyway and of no business to the public.
"I don't want anything to do with the matter any more, I have been cleared and I think the public should be content with that.
"Maybe the real question should be not who sent the letters but how much tax payers money John Ireland has spent on this pointless investigation.
" People can think what they like but those who really know me would know I didn't have anything to do with it."
Her outburst came after the council said it would not be making public details of the investigation it carried out.
Yesterday dstrict council scruity officer Peter Jeremiah said in a letter to Calne town councillor John Ireland, who brought the complaint: "I have completed my investigation into the allegation that Coun Carol O'Gorman either used the Council's franking facility or gave instructions for it to be used to send out invitations to a private function, that is, the opening of Stowell's Wharf Restaurant in Calne.
"My conclusion is that the allegation is unfounded. I shall produce a written decision in due course. Meanwhile, I have informed Cllr. O'Gorman of the outcome of my investigation. "
Coun O'Gorman, said: "This comes as no suprise to me as obviously I knew from the very beginning I was innocent.
"I hope this will be an end to political mudslinging as I have been getting on with what I was elected to do and I would hope others would too.
"I have thought that from the very beginning but others obviously do not.
"I just want to get on with the work."
But the information released by the council did not rev eal who had sent the invitations bearing the council's franking mark.
A spokesman refused to clarify if the statement meant Coun O'Gorman had used the machine but on the understanding the invitations to the event constituted a council duty.
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