Downtown Planet reports theft, meets same fate

It’s been a long, strange week for the staff at the twice-monthly Downtown Planet.

After the publication ran a story detailing how $17,0000 of Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association (DANA) funds were stolen from the home of the association’s board president, the newspaper suffered its own loss of the edition reporting the incident.

Nearly 5,000 copies of the paper disappeared from distribution points shortly after being delivered last Friday, and Downtown Planet publishers believe they know who is responsible.

On Monday, Downtown Planet editors filed a report with the Austin Police Department concerning the alleged theft of its July 13 edition.

"We filed the report on Monday with the APD," Downtown Planet Publisher Will Atkins said. "We do plan on pursuing it and there is legal precedent for pursuing this…in my personal opinion, there’s no doubt he’s (Clements) the one who took them."

Atkins said after the scheduled delivery of the paper’s July 13 edition last Friday, several subscribers and distributors started calling and complaining they hadn’t received the paper. Atkins said one subscriber, who wished to remain anonymous, asked the front desk manager at her loft why the paper hadn’t arrived. She was told that Clements picked up the papers, identifying himself to the manager and telling him the issue had a misprint, Atkins said.

DANA steering committee members have been sympathetic towards Downtown Planet’s situation, but have stressed that the alleged theft is solely between Clements, the paper and the Austin police. Clements didn’t return phone calls or an email from In Fact Daily asking for comments. He also declined to comment for several local TV stations.

"Nothing has been extended to DANA," said Marshall Jones, DANA membership committee chair. "We are grateful to Will (Atkins) for having the forethought to let us know about the complaint they filed…Even though we do not see this as a DANA issue, he has the full cooperation of the board."

The original story, by Downtown Planet’s Ann Fowler, covered a July 11 DANA meeting in which Clements described the theft of $17,000 in cash from his apartment, money that had come from DANA’s May 21 fundraiser, a downtown living tour. According the Downtown Planet’s story, Clements told DANA members and the steering committee that he took home the $21,000 in cash and checks raised during the event.

"The Downtown Living Tour was an unqualified success — $21,000," Downtown Planet quoted Clements saying during the meeting. "I took it upon myself to take all the cash and checks home, and I delayed depositing that. My residence was burglarized while the cash was in my house. They located the cash and the money bags, and that is gone. It happened three days after the tour. It was immediately reported to the police, who came out and fingerprinted. But it’s one of those things where they have no leads."

In Downtown Planet’s July 13 story Clements told DANA members the burglar left $4,500 in checks, which Clements deposited. As a renter, Clements said he didn’t have insurance, which might have covered the theft.

Detective Craig Ligon said the investigation into the burglary is still in progress, but that he has little hope of recovering the cash. The report Clements filed with the Austin Police Department indicates his laptop was also stolen.

According to the Downtown Planet, association members reacted with anger to the delay in announcing the theft, and to what some called negligence on Clements’ part. Some called for Clements’ resignation and for restitution from Clements of the stolen money. The Downtown Planet story said about a dozen members of the association’s 192 active members were present at the July 11 meeting.

DANA Secretary Ted Siff said the steering committee would meet again on July 25 to discuss DANA leadership.

"We are talking about what responsibility each and every DANA steering committee member has regarding the loss of these funds," Siff said. "There will be a cash management plan in place before we have our next major event, and it will include at least the possibility of event insurance and definitely a set of procedures regarding the handling of cash, including a timely deposit in a secure location."

The organization raises funds for various projects, such as improvements for the Town Lake Trail.

©2006 In Fact News, Inc. All rights reserved.

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