State to Conduct Forensic Audit of Franklin-Hart Airport Authority

Franklin County commissioners have approved a plan to have the state do a forensic audit of the Franklin-Hart Airport Authority.

At their meeting Monday evening, Commissioner Eddie Wester said he spoke recently with State Representative Alan Powell about having the audit done.

Wester said he had also been in contact with Hart County Commission Chair Joey Dorsey who said he was in favor of the audit and said Hart County would be willing to contribute funds to help pay for it.

At their meeting last month, West said he was able find only one audit and that was from 2019.

However County Manager Beth Thomas said Monday she contacted the County CPA’s Rushton & Co who were able to provide audits up to 2013 but said they were pulled off the audits for the years 2014 to 2018.

According to Wester, Powell said the audit would be done by the State and would cover from the time the Airport Authority was formed until the present.

Meantime, Commission Chair Thomas Bridges gave update on the letter sent to DA Parks White on the results of the GBI investigation into the Airport Authority.

Bridges said he spoke to White Monday morning and was told he would not release the information pending his plan to call a Grand Jury.

WLHR News reached out to the Franklin County Clerk of Court’s office this week and was told no date has yet been set for a Grand Jury to convene.

Bridges said, however, that White did indicate the County Commission could discuss the issue of the Airport Authority land acquisition with County Attorney Bubba Samuels and in executive session Monday evening.

The GBI investigation centered around the legality of a state-of-the-art airport hangar owned by then Airport Authority president Eddie Addison which he swapped for a dilapidated one owned by the County.

Addison reportedly renovated the old hanger and the Authority leased it out visitors flying into the County.