For Davis, it was a disastrous torment suffered from indiscretions of spending county funds inappropriately, worsened by an embarrassing allegation that he was having an affair with a female colleague.

By IKE MGBATOGU

Contributing Writer

COLUMBUS – There was the steely denial of wrongdoing, the blaming of the media for his doom and the taking of full responsibility for what happened. And then there was the humble appreciation to Delaware residents for the opportunity to serve.

All of that nicely sums up to the four stages of a volcanic collapse of the career of Delaware County Sheriff Walter L. Davis III, who resigned from office last week following allegations of illegally spending county money on dalliances with a female deputy sheriff.

Yet, even as he hurriedly stepped down from his post, Davis still insisted he was innocent and maintained that investigation of the incident will clear his name of any wrongdoing.

“Let the Bureau of Criminal Investigation do an investigation,” said Davis, who also went on to say, “It’ll speak for itself, and it’ll clearly show we didn’t do anything wrong.”

Davis, an African-American, became sheriff in 2007 after he was named to replace former Sheriff Al Myers, who also left office for indulging in similar shady indulgencies.

Soon after Davis stepped down, Delaware County Commissioners named Captain Scott Vance as his interim replacement until a permanent sheriff is hired within 45 days.

Davis’ troubles, involves the shenanigans of having an ‘affair’ on the public dime. It all began after he returned from a 10 week training at the FBI Academy at Quantico, VA, in August 2011.  When he returned, he submitted his paperwork for reimbursement on money he spent for rental car, parking, and hotel.

And sure enough, Davis was reimbursed for his expenses. But that was precisely his tinderbox because, as 10 Investigates report would later show from a press release issued by Davis himself, the FBI footed those bills, which admittedly included meals he had with a female deputy subordinate he was having an affair with.  Her name is Janine Senanayake.

According to David Phillips, the special prosecutor working on the case, Davis spent county money for an “inappropriate purpose.”

Davis denied any wrongdoing.  But at the same time, that denial seemed to be a calculated razzmatazz since his attorney Larry James was holding parleys with Phillips trying to work out a face-saving deal to end the investigation of the incident and shield Davis from prosecution in exchange for reduced comeuppances.

In the end, a deal was struck by both sides with the representatives involved in the discussions describing the agreement as being “in the best interest of the county.”

In addition to stepping down, it was agreed that Davis, who was unopposed in his reelection bid as a Republican, will withdraw his name from the November contest.  Then he will pay back the county the $1,331.55 reimbursed to him.  He also agreed never to run for elective office in Delaware County again.

The deal, for the most part, brings closure to Davis’ woes.

Phillips said that because Davis was being investigated for spending county money on a female colleague he was having an affair with, there’s no telling exactly what an expanded scope of the investigation would have uncovered.

“Whether those would have merit, I can’t tell you,” said Phillips. “Whether they’d rise to the level of ethics violations or criminal violations, I can’t say.” But he was able to say that the way the case was handled and resolved was in the best interest of the county.

For Davis, it was a disastrous torment suffered from indiscretions of spending county funds inappropriately, worsened by an embarrassing allegation that he was having an affair with a female colleague.

But when asked to respond to those allegations, Davis replied, “That’s my private life.  It’s personal.  Period.”

Though he took full responsibility for his clanges, somehow Davis still defended himself from culpability, blaming his woes on “media frenzy” and a “rush to judgment” by his Republican Party in deciding to summarily dump him.

Mgbatogu is a freelance writer and editor of Onumba.com.  He can be reached by email at Onumbamedia@yahoo.com