Pubdate: Fri, 19 Dec 2003
Source: News & Observer (NC)
Copyright: 2003 The News and Observer Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.news-observer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/304
Author: Lynn Bonner
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/frank+ballance

BALLANCE SAYS HE'LL RUN AGAIN

Despite A Federal Probe, The Congressman Says He's Doing His Best For
Constituents

WILLIAMSTON -- Much of this year, U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance probably
would be happy to forget. After a long career in the state legislature
and his election to Congress last year, Ballance and a foundation he
started are under federal investigation for misusing taxpayers' money.

Entering his district office in Williamston on Thursday afternoon to
sip punch with constituents and his staff, Ballance seemed to have
lost the bounce he had a little more than a year ago, when he was an
influential state senator.

But even weighed down by allegations of misspending, being a
congressman comes with responsibilities. And Ballance, a Democrat
finishing his first year in Congress, said he is meeting his --
serving constituents who need help navigating the federal bureaucracy,
traveling the district, which covers much of northeastern North
Carolina, and working for whatever a member of the minority party can
get in Washington.

"What I'm trying to do is make sure it does not impact how I do my
job," Ballance said.

He has disregarded a call from the state Republican Party chairman to
resign. Indeed, he announced to the 30 people who gathered at his
office for "constituent service day" that he wants to run again and
that he just filed papers to start raising money for next year's
campaign in the First Congressional District.

"I'm a candidate for Congress on this next election, subject to the
will of the people," he said.

Support wasn't hard to find in the conference room, in a small town
100 miles east of Raleigh and a federal grand jury that started
looking into the John A. Hyman Memorial Youth Foundation last month.

Fred Yates, the mayor of Winfall in Perquimans County, punctuated
Ballance's short speech: "I'm behind him 100 percent."

It's not that the district isn't saturated with news about Ballance
and the investigation. People at the holiday party -- local officials
who have worked with him for years, constituents whom his office has
helped and people who just wanted to meet a real, live congressman --
knew many of the details.

Ballance persuaded legislators to send about $2 million in state money
over the past decade to the antidrug foundation, which then parceled
much of it out to community groups and others. But the state cut off
funding this year after the foundation failed to file required state
and federal financial reports.

A state audit of the foundation, released in October, found about
$325,000 in questionable spending and concluded that the program was
"riddled with conflicts of interest." For instance, auditors found
that the foundation paid Ballance's daughter for work she didn't
perform and that 21 grant recipients had given money to Ballance's
campaigns.

Ballance, as the foundation's board chairman, signed many of the
checks. He has said the foundation did not misuse public money.

But to supporters, the foundation's goal of helping drug addicts and
Ballance's reputation as someone who fought for poor people during his
nine terms in the General Assembly counter all the revelations of
misspent money. Some think that he is being singled out because he is
black.

"Every day, it's a test for us anyway," said Gregory Patrick, a
carpenter from Williamston. "As a black man, it's harder for us. We
have an extra struggle."

Melanie Ball said she has heard all the criticism of Ballance from
friends and acquaintances in Little Washington. But she showed up
Thursday to show her appreciation of how his staff helped her family
obtain a transfer closer to home for an incarcerated relative.

"When we came here, we were like wounded animals," Ball said.
"Congressman Ballance is a good man. I'd stand up and tell everybody."

Elizabeth Tripp, another member of Ball's family, said she believes in
Ballance despite what she's heard.

"I don't think he's guilty," said Tripp, 60, who lives in Bath. "You
have to put more facts to me. They want to find things wrong about
people who are helping people, in my opinion, in order to discredit
him."

Dig deep enough into anyone's background, especially a politician's,
and you'll find problems, said Abram H. Saunders, 79, a longtime Gates
County political activist who has worked with Ballance.

"You can find some skeletons in the closet somewhere back," Saunders
said. "Actually, I'm looking forward to what kind of job that he's
going to do."

Ballance's close association with former Congresswoman Eva Clayton,
whom he succeeded, helps wipe away some of the tarnish.

Ballance mentioned Clayton during the interview in his nearly bare
office. Ballance said he is trying to pick up where Clayton left off
in helping black farmers by pressing to fund the Department of
Agriculture's civil rights office.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin