The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 7

TBO.com THE TAMPA TRIBUNE THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2011 METRO METRO Head Start chief given bad advice, lawyer says -M i nothing inappropriate, particularly as relating to this matter," she said. Palmieri said she was privately retained by Finney and not paid by Head Start or the county. After she spoke with Finney, she said, she "very soon" contacted U.S. Attorney Robert E. O'Neill, who is prosecuting the case, and made Finney available tq talk to investigators or testify if needed.

"This had not gone in a way that seemed appropriate to" Finney, she said. "Common sense would tell you that this isn't the way it should have gone." Palmieri said her client has been "vilified" in the media, with questions about his professionalism and his ethics being raised because of his refusal to testify. Finney was the target of six separate county investigations last year spurred by complaints from former employees, a parent volunteer and his former supervisor. Investigations found validity to three of the complaints, including one that he approved his own expenditures and another that he illegally drove county vehicles without a valid state driver's license, for five years. "He had endured a number of investigations that really have revealed nothing than he didn't have a Florida driver's license, and he got one," Palmieri said.

He testifies in fraud case after taking the Fifth BY ELAINE SILVESTRINI The Tampa Tribune Tampa Louis Finney, the director of Hillsborough County's Head Start program, invoked his Fifth Amendment right in front of a criminal grand jury in April because he got bad legal advice from a former lawyer, his current attorney said Wednesday. Finney testified Wednesday in the case of the former Head Start chief financial officer and another program manager, who are accused of defrauding the federally funded program by having the program spend $9,000 to buy a book authored by the CFO's wife about blood-borne pathogens. Head Start employees have testified they thought the book, "Travel Boy Helps Sebastian," was inappropriate because it was too mature for children in the program, who range in age from six weeks to five years. Finney said he signed the purchase, order but was unaware at the time about the relationship of the author, Johana Melen-dez Santiago, to the Head Start official, Michael Jimenez. He said he trusted Marie Mason to perform "due diligence" about such things before presenting' the purchase order.

Both sides rested their cases Wednesday after noon after Melendez testified, the only one of the three defendants to take the witness stand. Attorneys are slated to give summations this morning, after which the jury will begin deliberations. Finney's refusal to answer questions before the grand jury that indicted Melendez, Jimenez and Mason was not disclosed to the jury that is seated in the criminal trial; although Finney was questioned about a series of internal investigations, no attorney mentioned his invocation of the Fifth Amendment. Finney refused to answer reporters' questions after his testimony; his attorney, Lori D. Palmieri, said he wanted to get back to work.

Asked why Finney took the Fifth in the first place, Palmieri said, "He did it because he got bad advice. We have tried to rectify that." She said Finney consulted a lawyer specializing in labor law not criminal law who, for unknown reasons, told him to invoke his right not to incriminate himself "without understanding the ramifications." After the grand jury session ended abruptly, Palmieri said, Finney Was uncomfortable with what had happened, and he contacted her. Palmieri said she didn't know the name of the labor lawyer who gave Finney the bad advice, but she said there was no reason for Finney to believe he might incriminate himself. "He clearly had done v. Busch Gardens to offer Grad Nite for high school seniors esllvestrlnltampatrlb.com 813-259-7837 mm 1 BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY bands such as Kool the Gang, Natalie Cole, Night Ranger, Run Wang Chung, Backstreet Boys, Ne-Yo and Katy Perry.

rmulllnstampatrlb.com (813) 259-7919 Twitter. DallyDeadllne 5 it Two-day event will provide fun and music after-hours BY RICHARD MULLINS The Tampa Tribune tampa Just months after Walt Disney World canceled its Grad Nite concert eVents at the Magic Kingdom, Busch Gardens is jumping- in to fill the breach for high school seniors who want to celebrate their graduations in 2012. During the two-day event, the park will stay open after hours for roller coaster rides in the dark, DJ entertainment and live acts. The theme park will announce the acts' names later this fall. The dates for the 12th Grade Grad Nite events are April 27-28.

It costs $54.99 'A' Vji High-schoolers will be able to enjoy rides and live music during 12th Grade Grad Nite at Busch Gardens in Tampa. plus tax. Since it began in 1972, Disney's Grad Nite promotion had become nearly a right of passage for Florida high school students. Over the years, students enjoyed live music from i 1 mi i ii ii 1 1 In i nil iiliiiliuli iiMin ii.iliiiiiidllMMIIIlMMmll OFF An Hour Long Choose from: Swedish, Relaxation or Deep Tissue Massage $70 Value for only $29 pcutive SHOP SPECIAL HOURS FRIDAY, JULY 15: 8:00 A.M. 10:00 P.M.

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