State Auditor Candidates Face Off

<p>There was plenty of mud-slinging at a debate for state auditor and inspector. </p>

Thursday, June 21st 2018, 6:23 pm

By: Aaron Brilbeck

There was plenty of mud-slinging at a debate for state auditor and inspector. Two Republican candidates lashed out at each other.

Candidate Cindy Byrd, who has more than 20 years of experience with the auditors’ office, faced off against Charlie Prater, who has more than 40 years working in the private sector as a CPA.

Prater is also involved in a lawsuit after he defaulted on a loan for a failed business venture. He said he was conned by his partners.

“Once the financials were provided to me I saw several cash transfers being made from the real estate company to an operating company that was, that they had formed. And this operating company had failed. I also found out looking at the financials that they had given over a million dollars in free rent,” Prater said. "So, I filed a suit against them for fraud."

Byrd responded, "Not only was a promissory note signed, you also signed as a guarantor. Unconditional promise to pay. So, I'm confused. You promised to pay and didn't keep your word. But then you say things happened that you weren't aware of. Were you asleep at the wheel? Were you not auditing those things?"

Prater replied, "There was some cooking of the books, some transfers of money and I gotta [sic] tell you, you get into deals sometimes and these things happen."

News 9’s Aaron Brilbeck, a panelist at the debate, asked Prater, "If you don't believe that you're responsible for paying the note who do you believe is responsible and do you think you were duped?"

Prater replied, "I think the people that were borrowing the money on my guarantee and placing it on another company, I think they're responsible. You know it's not hard to figure out."

The candidates also sparred over whether the auditor’s office has become too politicized. The debated ended with candidates not shaking hands or even making eye contact.

“I never thought that this republican primary would go this ugly,” said Byrd. “And I'm sorry that that happened. Because under different circumstances I probably could have respected you."