Jeffery Randol’s Compromising Background
More than $4 million in Tax Liens and Judgements
Jeff Randol was hired in 2015 to serve as Executive Director of the FDRPC for an annual salary of $110,000. An online background check revealed that Mr. Mr. Randol had 18 tax liens for the years 2014—2018 totaling $2,741,194. A tax lien is the government’s legal claim against property when a tax debt has not been paid.
Mr. Randol also had two civil judgements in 2009 and 2010 totaling $1,355,499. The civil judgements resulted from foreclosures as documented here. The combined tax liens and judgments exceed $4 million. Both the IRS and local jurisdictions have posted “notices” of some of the liens against Jeffrey Randol with the county recorders in PA, MO, and DE. These notices provide more detail than the TruthFinder list.
Some of these “notices” cite 26 U.S. Code § 6672 which relates to non-payment of employee withholding tax stating:
J.-Randol-Liens-and-Judgements-1Any person required to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over any tax imposed by this title who willfully fails to collect such tax, or truthfully account for and pay over such tax, or willfully attempts in any manner to evade or defeat any such tax or the payment thereof, shall, in addition to other penalties provided by law, be liable to a penalty equal to the total amount of the tax evaded, or not collected, or not accounted for and paid over.
FDRPC has received more than $15 million in state appropriations during Mr. Randal’s tenure. FDRPC belatedly arranged for annual audits which report only the amount of the state appropriation with no data on the expenditure of these public funds.
FDRPC also receives substantial funds from the sale or lease of properties. In addition, the Corporation recently received a wire transfer with $1.5 million as a down payment from the Grassdale sale. We are calling for a Forensic Audit of FDRPC.
Cited for an Environmental Violation
On May 1, 2021, FDRPC was cited by DNREC for an Environmental Violation resulting from mismanagement of FDRPC’s Sediment and Stormwater Regulations. Over several months the site of this mess expanded to approximately an acre.
The Violation was drafted by Bonnie Arvay from DNREC’s Sediment and Stormwater program and cited:
“Multiple violations of the Sediment and Stormwater Regulation, Construction General Permit, Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook and approved sediment and stormwater management plan including failure to stabilize sediment basins and disturbed areas; failure to install and/or maintain perimeter controls, stabilized construction entrances, stockpile controls, and storm drain inlet protections; and improper management and/or disposal of mixed construction and demolition debris containing concrete, metal rebar, piping, asphalt, geotextile, and trash.“
Destruction of an Historic Building
Christopher Robinson was a former Maintenance Manager for FDRPC starting in July 2018. On August 11, 2021, he submitted Public Comment to the FDRPC Board stating that:
“During my tenure and at the instruction of the Executive Director, Jeffrey Randol and the Site Manager, Peggy Thomas, I was asked to work in secrecy and take actions that were both unethical and illegal, and then told to lie about them. There are many such incidents, but for the sake of time I will describe only one.”
In February 2020 the FDRPC maintenance staff tore down a building that I found out later had been in the National Registry of Historic Places and listed in “fair to good” condition during the FDRPC’s initial development plan. We were instructed to say that it collapsed in a windstorm if anyone asked.”
Building 58 was a Storehouse shown in the upper right corner in this graphic from the Sasaki Report. The buildings in yellow were constructed between 1939-1945. Building 58 was was rated in “Fair” condition and was designated by the Sasaki Report to be “Stabilized and Reused”.
During the night the night of February 11, 2020, the building was demolished. An investigation was undertaken by the Delaware City Police but the findings have not been disclosed. One of the purposes of the FDRPC is “Fort DuPont’s National Register status (where applicable) will be maintained, and historic building and landscape resources will be rehabilitated and reused to the extent possible.”
In his statement to the FDRPC Board, Chris Robinson states that he was “instructed to say that it collapsed in a windstorm”. Delaware City is known for windy weather. Building 58 stood for approximately 80 years and withstood many storms with 30-40 mph winds. The Delaware City weather graph for February 2020 indicates that the wind was only 7 mph on the night the building disappeared.
Chris Robinson was fired after he reported this incident to the Delaware City Police. With no report issued by the DC Police, there is no way to confirm his allegations. However, there is no uncertainty that Building 58 was on the list to be preserved, that it was destroyed, and that there is no record of any demolition.
As FDRPC Executive Director, Jeff Randol was responsible for maintaining and preserving the historic buildings at Fort DuPont. This is one of the most important elements of his mission. Mr. Randol should have initiated his own investigation, and the onus should be on him to explain how this historic building collapsed in a gentle breeze.
Grand Home Below Fair Market Rental
Jeff Randol selected 1303 Officers Row as his personal residence. Based on a FOIA response, FDRPC has spent $683,000 renovating and landscaping this house which is one of the largest and most valuable homes in Delaware City. However, the large Koi Pond was not included in this list of expenses, casting doubt on the completeness of the FOIA accounting. A Koi Pond of this size could easily cost $100,000. An elevator and a third floor in-law suite were also part of the lavish renovation.
On December 1, 2017, the Randols signed a lease for $2,000 monthly. Below is a chart comparing Jeff Randol’s rental cost with five duplexes which FDRPC manages as rentals. The Randol’s pay only $50 a month more than 1308 A&B Officers Row. Their cost per square foot is approximately half the cost for these duplexes. Of course, the Randol home is single family vs. duplex and includes the elevator, in-law suite and Koi Pond.
At the end of FY 2021, FDRPC introduced a new policy reducing the rent paid by employees by 25%. Although this reduction hasn’t shown up in the financials yet, this new policy will reduce the Randols rent to $1,600 which is less than four of the five duplexes listed above. With this reduction the Randol cost per square foot is reduced to $0.41.