Allegations made last year that Portsmouth City Council member De’Andre Barnes inappropriately used city facilities and services for his youth sports organization are “unfounded,” the city attorney said.
In a City Council meeting last year, local pastor Barry Randall alleged Barnes received financial benefits for his youth sports organization, the Portsmouth City Cowboys, through the Department of Parks and Recreation — a violation of city code as a council member. The allegation was made during a special meeting following the termination of Angel Jones that was marred by hours of allegations against council members, personal attacks and infighting.
City Attorney Lavonda Graham-Williams told council members this week in an email obtained by The Virginian-Pilot that a review of the city’s financial records, along with interviews with city leadership and department heads, “did not reveal any evidence supporting the allegations” that a financial benefit was extended or requested in violation of city code.
Graham-Williams also said a review of public records requests on the subject showed a referral to the Virginia State Police on the issue resulted in “no returns on the allegations.”
At the time, Barnes asked the city attorney’s office to look into the claims.
“I already knew I hadn’t done anything wrong,” Barnes told The Pilot on Wednesday. “I just wanted to be investigated by outside parties so we can bring it to the public so that they can know.”
Graham-Williams informed council members of the finding hours before member Bill Moody unsuccessfully attempted to re-appoint Randall to another term on the Parks and Recreation Commission. No other council members supported Moody’s motion, so it didn’t move forward for a vote. Randall was appointed in March 2021 to fill a vacant position, and his term expires Friday.
Barnes is a council liaison to the parks commission.
“Council has broad discretion to determine appropriate candidates for service on local boards and commissions,” Graham-Williams wrote in her email. “Whether a citizen who has made public allegations determined to be unfounded is appropriate for service is a matter to be determined by consensus of Council. Citizens have a first amendment right to free speech in public forums designed for that purpose; this right, however, does not shield the citizen from the consequences that speech may have on the listener.”
But Randall said Wednesday he still stands by what he said, adding “unfounded does not mean false” and that the finding only means the city couldn’t corroborate his claims.
Randall called the council’s move payback for his allegations.
“(Not) being able to serve on that particular board, it won’t stop what I do for the city,” Randall said. “And all it would do is fuel my fire to run for City Council to unseat one of them in next year’s election.”
In response to a records request made by The Pilot last year, the city stated it had no records showing payments made by the city to Portsmouth City Cowboys. Records from Portsmouth Public Schools, however, show Lakeview Elementary School paid the organization $300 from its student activity fund in March 2019 for 15 basketball uniforms for the school’s basketball team.
Barnes, who was elected to City Council in 2020, was a member of the school board at the time of the payment. He said Wednesday that he wasn’t involved with the transaction but the school was seeking uniforms for a basketball tournament from the vendor the organization uses.
Barnes previously told The Pilot he’s never been paid by the organization and isn’t in charge of it. He also said the organization uses school facilities such as basketball courts for practice and games. A Portsmouth Public School spokesperson previously said the school division offers the use of its facilities to the city, which determines which organizations can use them.
Last year, Mayor Shannon Glover attempted to file charges against Barnes with the same allegation, but a Norfolk magistrate declined to issue charges after not finding probable cause.
Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com
