Devens cleared of misusing funds

by The Associated Press

John Devens, executive director of the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Board, has been cleared of misuse of funds.

The advisory council board said Devens has been cleared to misspending money on lengthy business trips, flying first class and staying in expensive hotels in Washington, D.C.

Devens, former Valdez mayor and two-time Democratic congressional candidate, was also accused of using council funds to move his mother from the Lower 48 to Alaska.

The claims were made by an unidentified source within the citizens’ advisory council, the Coast Guard said, and came at a time when the Coast Guard is deciding whether to recertify the group.

Peyton Coleman, commander of the Coast Guard’s marine safety office in Valdez, brought the accusations to council attention last month. But after spending an estimated $5,000 to $10,000 to have Robert Bundy, former U.S. attorney for Alaska, investigate the claims, the council board has cleared Devens and the staff.

Bundy’s report shoots down every accusation made against the leader, the board said. The board now wants the Coast Guard to apologize for the way it handled the case.

A Coast Guard official said the agency followed procedures and doesn’t consider the matter over because it still must review Bundy’s investigation report.