Auditor: Walker and others overseeing grants did business with selves

ATLANTA - The state auditor reported Friday that Senate Democratic Leader Charles Walker and several other members of a group in Augusta overseeing the spending of nearly $20 million in state grants used some of the money to do business with themselves. <br> <br> Auditor Russell Hinton said he found no indication the money was spent for unauthorized purposes, but added that he did not attempt to determine the legality of any individual transaction. <br> <br> Governor Barnes, who asked for the audit at Walker&#39;s request after the expenditures were spotlighted in newspaper reports, said it ``underscores the need for clear conflict of interest rules for everyone involved in public service.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> He said new ethics laws he will propose next year if he wins re-election will require the level of disclosure necessary to eliminate any doubts that related-party transactions such as these might create. <br> <br> Walker, a close ally of the governor&#39;s, said the transactions were ``very innocent&#39;&#39; but agreed that stronger disclosure laws are necessary. <br> <br> Walker said, ``Even though there are transactions with members of the board, there are no instances where personal profit was gained inappropriately. However, I believe all these transactions should be disclosed.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Senate Republican Leader Eric Johnson of Savannah, who also had called for the audit, said he was disappointed in the report&#39;s scope. He said, ``It reads like a political audit by a political appointee of a powerful politician ... It just calls into questions whether state tax dollars are being used to develop a neighborhood or enrich a powerful politician.&#39;&#39;