RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – An investigation found Richmond’s top two election officials abused their authority and broke city policies, including fraud, the misuse of city-issued credit cards, wasteful spending, drinking during work hours and not reporting complaints of domestic violence and sexual harassment.
Richmond Inspector General James Osuna and his office investigated the city’s elections office following claims of improper spending and nepotism against General Registrar Keith Balmer and his deputy, Jerry Richardson.
The IG’s investigation substantiated 25 of the 26 allegations reviewed, per the 24-page report shared with city officials and obtained by 8News on Monday. Osuna’s office doesn’t recommend any response to violations in the report.
Balmer and Richardson, the investigation found, abused their authority and wasted resources and funds in violation of multiple city policies.
This included buying unnecessary items, not going through proper procedures on purchases with their city-issued cards, approving false time entries for an employee and more. Other allegations backed up by the IG’s investigation include the failure to share complaints of sexual harassment, domestic violence and other misconduct with human resources.
As the city’s general registrar, Balmer leads Richmond’s election office and oversees the administration of elections in the city. While Balmer is a city employee, he reports to the Richmond Electoral Board.
The board’s current chair, Republican Starlet Stevens, told 8News on Monday that an electoral board meeting has been set for Dec. 4 where the “report will be reviewed with the Board by Inspector General Osuna in closed session.”
On Nov. 18, Stevens told 8News she intends to seek Balmer’s removal, something she previously told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, after being briefed on the IG’s findings.
Balmer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Balmer improperly used his city vehicle as a take-home vehicle, taking it to run errands such as going to pick up his children from school and going to the cleaners without completing appropriate forms to do so, the probe found.
The investigation found Balmer didn’t meet requirements to purchase artwork with his city government purchasing card, which “constitutes a waste of City funds,” the report said.
Balmer, the probe found, wasted government resources by buying “high-quality, high-priced furniture” for his office and other employees’ offices using the government purchasing card. This included a leader sofa for more than $2,000, an oak office desk for more than $1,100, four leather chairs for $4,119 and more.
Under the city’s public procurement policy, an agency shall give a written price reasonableness when prices offered don’t appear to be fair and reasonable. Balmer’s office did not complete this written determination.
“The General Registrar was provided with several lower-priced furniture options; however, the office chose the highest-priced vendors,” the IG report states.
The IG’s investigation didn’t substantiate a claim that Balmer purchased a Ford Explorer without being authorized to and removed city logos from the vehicle in violation of policies. The IG confirmed through city documents that the purchase went through the proper procedures.
In the months before the IG report was complete, city records showed procurement violations, high-cost purchases on city-issued credit cards and nepotism claims against Balmer and Richardson.
Purchases on credit cards from the city’s procurement office by Balmer and Richardson, per records from April 15, 2021, to May 1, 2024, include spending on art, hotel stays, furniture, food and stores selling guns, ammunition, shoes and clothes.
In 2023, records show that Balmer and Richardson spent more than $11,000 collectively on hotel stays, primarily at The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in August of that year.
Under the city’s purchase card program, agencies are given “cards to use for the payment of qualifying small purchases.” The cards, per the city, allow payments to be prompt, eliminate issues with payments and reduce “processing requirements for transactions under $10,000.00.”
The city suspended Balmer and Richardson’s purchasing cards on May 15, city officials told 8News.
An internal investigation from the city found Balmer and Richardson broke nepotism and ethics policies and the city’s elections office should undergo “an immediate departmental restructuring.”
This led Balmer to publicly say that his office would stop hiring and awarding contracts to family members, and “implement more rigorous hiring practices to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for all employees.”
This story is developing. Check back for updates.