Senator Jeff Hayden (DFL-Minneapolis) released the following statement concerning the recent audit of Community Action Minneapolis:

The Department of Human Services' audit of Community Action Minneapolis details alarming spending irregularities and an inexcusable misuse of public funds by the CEO, Bill Davis. If these findings are shown to be true, Mr. Davis should resign and allow Community Action to move forward under new leadership.

As an elected official with a seat on a 15 member board, I shared in the responsibility for providing oversight of Community Action Minneapolis on behalf of the public. My wife, Terri Hayden, accepted an appointment to serve on the board as my designee. Terri's professional background working with people struggling with mental illness and chemical dependency brought an important perspective to the mission of the board. She took her responsibilities on the board very seriously and was not aware of any of the questionable spending detailed in the audit.

Terri did attend the annual strategic planning retreats at Arrowwood Resort with the rest of the board, and while family members could come along, it was strictly at their own expense. As my designee on the board, the only costs that were covered by Community Action were for Terri, and I paid my own way. To be clear, neither Terri nor I accepted compensation for any cruises, spas, vacations to the Bahamas, or any other inappropriate, non-board activities.

Again, I am extremely disappointed in the audit findings. I will support the Department of Human Services as they reach decisions regarding the next steps for Community Action and plan to resign from the board.