Addison Fire Chief George Spencer’s fate, both professionally and personally, is still up in the air as he waits to learn whether or not he’ll face criminal charges related to his giving an employee a pay advance before Christmas.
‘It’s at the prosecutor’s office. That’s all I can tell you,? said township Supervisor Bruce Pearson. ‘I’m in the dark like everybody else. I don’t know what the scope of the whole thing involves. Only the chief knows.?
‘I told you everything that I knew back when we talked two weeks ago,? said Spencer, referring to a Feb. 4 interview he did with this newspaper.
It’s been two weeks since the Leader broke the story about Spencer being under investigation by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department for giving one of his firefighters, who was experiencing financial difficulties, a $183.60 pay advance on Dec. 22, so he could buy Christmas gifts for his children.
In the following weeks, the firefighter worked all 20 of the hours for which he was prepaid, according to Spencer, who admitted he made a mistake because there’s no township policy covering pay advances, but insisted there’s nothing criminal about what he did.
Since this all began, Pearson’s declined to comment on the specifics of the situation, preferring to ‘let the experts handle it.?
‘It is over there (at the prosecutor’s office) and they are proceeding with something, I don’t know what,? he said on Monday. ‘I will never try to supercede them.?
‘I just have to stay quiet on this right now.?
On Jan. 28, Spencer was directed by Pearson to leave the fire station and not perform any of his duties as chief until further notice. The supervisor maintains it’s not a suspension or punishment.
‘He’s just off with pay,? Pearson said. ‘He’s got his truck and everything like that. He’s just not to report to the station at this time.?
As of Feb. 17, Spencer was still not working, but he was still being paid.
‘I just want to go back to work. I really do,? the chief said. ‘I would just like to get his settled and come back to work and not have it be ugly for anybody.?
More than anything, Spencer said he just wants to ‘minimize the damage to the department and the township? by returning to his job and putting this all behind him.
But Pearson said it’s best for Spencer to stay home until he hears from the prosecutor’s office.
‘I just have to take the appropriate actions to protect everybody involved,? the supervisor said. ‘I can’t have retaliation. I can’t have people fighting. I have to make sure that everybody comes out of this with their honor, hopefully.?
‘I have no idea what he’s talking about,? Spencer said in response. ‘Who’s been fighting or retaliating? . . .As far as I know there were no raised voices, there was no physical altercation when I was taken out of the station, nothing like that.?
‘I was probably visibly upset when I left the station and who wouldn’t be.?
As for Pearson’s repeated comments about protecting the chief and anyone else involved in this situation, Spencer said, ‘I’m not sure, honestly, what he’s protecting me from.?
With regard to Spencer’s newspaper interview, Pearson said, ‘It was a nice story, but it’s not all of the story, if you understand what I’m saying.?
‘I guess he wanted to explain himself. I’m sorry that he put that out (there) in front of everybody,? the supervisor said. ‘That might only be part of the story. There’s probably a lot more to the story, but that was his option, I guess. I’m sorry that he chose that route, but that was what he decided to do.?
‘If there is (more to the story), I have no idea what it is,? Spencer said.