Mayor Orders Investigation Into Allegations Made Against Him

In a bizarre twist to a confounding story, Wentzville Mayor Paul Lambi on Wednesday ordered the city's attorney to investigate allegations that a cashed $15,000 check from the city made out to a company Lambi helped cofound somehow resulted in little or no services to Wentzville.

Essentially, Lambi demanded the city investigate potential wrong-doing on his own part, even offering the city's police detectives as tools for the investigation. He also requested the findings be made public.

The order came after a contentious exchange between Lambi and Wentzville Alderman Chris Gard, who according to a report in the Suburban Journals, handed the check in question to City Attorney Paul Rost on Feb. 8 to look into.

The check has been a topic of discussion since the Wentzville's Board of Aldermen's Jan. 25 meeting. Not until now has Lambi addressed the issue. 

The check was one of a few hundred being audited by Jerry Hillin, the city's purchasing administrator. Gard, according to the report, said the check was cashed, but there was no documentation that the city received any services in return for $15,000 paid to a company identified on the check as Westplex LOC.

When confronted by the mayor during Wednesday's board meeting, Hillin decliend to comment. Gard did the same.

From the Suburban Journals:

Gard said Thursday he believed the payment was made to Westplex Sports and Entertainment LOC (Local Organizing Committee), a limited liability company organized in 2007 by Ed Watkins, president of Winning Endeavors, a fundraising consulting firm in St. Peters.

In 2009, Watkins hired Wentzville Mayor Paul Lambi as Winning Endeavors' chief executive officer. A Suburban Journals story published in December 2007 identified Lambi as cofounder of the Westplex committee, established to promote sports and entertainment facilities in St. Charles, Warren, Lincoln, Franklin and Washington counties. The committee sought to boost local tourism and sales by trying to attract national-level sporting events to the area.

Lambi, who was not employed with Westplex wn the city doled out the check, said Watkins could account for the check's purpose.