Richie McAlister, the city's chief administrative officer, and Weston Lindemann, the representative for Ward 5. 

The City of Meridian’s chief administrative officer is accusing council member Weston Lindemann of intentionally defrauding the city during a June trip in which Lindemann spent nearly $200 on beverages and room service.

But Lindemann, the representative for Ward 5, said he meant for those charges to go on his personal debit card.

Richie McAlister, the city’s CAO, began a budget session on Tuesday by presenting the council with documents he claimed Lindemann had forged in an attempt to defraud the city. 

McAlister, who signed the original documents for a cash advance to Lindemann, said he only caught the mistake after the council asked him to evaluate travel expenditures. 

MCalister’s allegations come after Lindemann has spent the last few months accusing the administration of corruption. 

“Mr. Lindemann has relentlessly attacked this administration…without basis of merit,” McAlister said. “Mr. Lindemann took one of his only opportunities to be financially dishonest and go on a drinking and room binge.” 

The charges stem from a four-day visit the council took to the coast in June for the annual Mississippi Municipal League conference. Lindemann arrived a day later than his fellow council members and said he left his debit card number at the front desk for the charges. 

Though McAlister attempted to publicly read a list of Lindemann’s purchases, ranging from coffee to alcohol, council members asked that the matter be discussed during an executive session, as is allowed for personnel matters.

“Since he didn’t even know these charges existed, I’m sure he’ll do what he needs to do,” Kim Houston, the representative for Ward 4, said. “Mr. Attorney, (when) can we take care of this matter? We’re here to talk about the budget.”

But McAlister protested and continued to read Lindemann’s charges before Houston again appealed to the board attorney.

“I’m asking the attorney if it’s necessary to read this man’s personal business,” Houston said. 

“This was paid by the City of Meridian’s taxpayer money,” McAlister replied.

During the meeting, Lindemann said the charges would be paid back. 

“Whatever mistake has been made, it can be corrected,” Lindemann said. “I never intended that to be paid with City of Meridian taxpayer money. How could I, if I left my debit card number at the front desk?”

McAlister claimed fraud since the total amount of extra charges came within $4.50 of the room cost Lindemann would have incurred had he stayed all four nights. 

“It shows trickery, it shows fradulous intent,” McAlister said during the meeting.

Lindemann responded on his Facebook page, and questioned the validity of his signature, saying he doesn’t recall signing documents for reimbursements with such personal charges on them. 

“It seems to me this is either a deliberate attempt to shift the focus from the administration’s abuse of taxpayers funds or it is a simple mistake that the hotel made in charging the City of Meridian — as opposed to charging my debit card,” Lindemann said in a statement. “Either way, the roughly $170.00 in personal expenses will be refunded to the city.”

The travel documents, provided by McAlister, don’t include dated signatures. McAlister’s forwarded documents don’t include his signature verifying the expenses following the June trip.

Mayor Percy Bland said via text message that the signatures in the middle of the document (McAlister and Jo Ann Clark, the Clerk of Council) would have been signed prior to the trip, in other to authorize the advance. The signatures at the bottom are completed after the trip to make sure the costs are accurate. Bland said the date of Lindemann’s signature is unknown.

McAlister said he planned to call for an investigation into the matter.

“As stated by Councilman Lindemann in the past, we’ll be turning this calculated deceit over to the proper authorities for whatever legal recourse they deem appropriate,” he said in a statement.