CONWAY — The prosecuting attorney’s case file compiled before former University of Central Arkansas President Allen Meadors pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor is replete with previously undisclosed information.
Meadors, 65, pleaded guilty Jan. 15 to a misdemeanor violation of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. After the case was closed, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette obtained access under the openrecords statute to transcripts of investigative interviews.
Here are a few of those disclosures:
Brad Crosson, Aramark’s district manager, was granted immunity from prosecution before he talked with the Arkansas State Police about the food vendor’s $700,000 offer to renovate the UCA-owned president’s home in exchange for a seven-year contract extension.
Prosecuting Attorney Cody Hiland confirmed Friday that he granted the immunity. “It was not our expectation that they [Aramark officials] had committed any sort of illegal acts. But they were more comfortable proceeding” that way, he said.
Crosson said he and another Aramark representative had “fully expected” trustees to ask questions about and vote upon the proposed deal during the Aug. 26, 2011, board meeting in which the $700,000 offer was announced. Instead, the extension wasn’t mentioned, and no vote took place. “So, we were shocked,” Crosson said.
Scott Roussel, UCA’s board chairman at the time of the Aramark offer, said he and Meadors talked by phone after the school’s internalaudit director interviewedRoussel.
“Did he grill you about what we asked you?” Internal Audit Director Pam Massey asked.
Roussel replied: “He did, but I didn’t come out with it. ... I am not saying much of anything about what we talked about. I just thought it was inappropriate.”
Rick Newton, a senior special agent for the Arkansas State Police, pressured Roussel to call Meadors and “and ask questions like did he know about” a large monetary offer by a competing food vendor.
Roussel said he wanted “to think about it” and talk with his attorney first.
Newton replied during a series of exchanges between the two: “If we don’t prosecute this at the state level ... we’re going to prosecute it at the federal level, if we have a crime committed here. ... And they love to prosecute people for conspiracy in federal court. ...
“So you be sure to ask your attorney today what the word conspiracy means at the federal level. Because you knew before you made that presentation at that Board of Trustees meeting, you knew [about] that seven-year extension on that food contract” but didn’t disclose it.
“I didn’t conspire to do anything,” Roussel said later.
Asked whether he would take a polygraph test the next day, Roussel said, “I’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”
“When would you be able to take a polygraph test for me?” Newton asked.
Roussel replied, “There again, if you’re asking me to do that, put it in writing and I’ll take it to my attorney and we’ll see.”
Roussel, who later resigned from the board, was not charged with a crime.
Front Section, Pages 7 on 02/02/2013