Madison County board says D.I. Smith e-mailed suit plans
A Madison County supervisor is accused of leaking information from a closed session that could impact a lawsuit against the Mississippi Department of Transportation.CL
Supervisor D.I. Smith faced allegations from fellow supervisors Monday during a board meeting.
On a 4-1 vote, with Smith in opposition, the Board of Supervisors agreed to have Board attorney Eric Hamer seek the opinion of the attorney general or the ethics commission on barring Smith from any executive sessions in which the MDOT lawsuit is discussed.
"He's shown he can't be trusted in this matter," board President Tim Johnson said in seeking to bar Smith.
Smith, however, said he has done nothing wrong and called the board's attempt to censure him "simply politics in Madison County.
"I'm not aware I disclosed any information I wasn't supposed to," Smith said.
The county is asking MDOT to pay back $20 million local officials said was lost when the county decided not to build an I-55 interchange for Reunion Parkway. Smith has said he thinks the suit is a waste of the county's money.
However, Mississippi Ethics Commission Executive Director Tom Hood said state law does not keep an elected official from discussing what occurred behind closed doors.
"Discussing what happens in executive session is not a violation of the open meetings act or the ethics in government law," Hood said.
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