In his toweringly obtuse resignation letter, Parks Helms says he has been scapegoated for political gain by his ethical inferiors. Let’s check.
How many other heads of county ABC boards were the recipients of lavish meals provided by liquor salesmen? If the ongoing ALE investigation into such matters reveals many did get meals, Parks gets to first base with his argument. But what happens next will be key. If they all keep their positions after a finding that they broke state regulations, then Parks gets to say he was somehow singled out. I seriously doubt that happens, however.
Besides the first to get caught always gets to be an object lesson to the others, you’ve known that truth since pre-school. Ol’ Parks forgot that truth somewhere along the way of getting whatever he wanted for decades. No wonder Helms says he has to “recover” from getting caught red-handed and called-out in stark terms for putting self-interest ahead of the public-interest. That had never happened to him before.
Bonus Observation: Wonder why Helms did not put a name to this bold statement: “Although I have been advised by the preeminent Alcoholic Beverage Control lawyer in North Carolina at the UNC School of Government that I have violated no rule, no regulation, no law, I regret that my action has resulted in my decision to resign.” The School of Government is a cancer on this state.
