MADRAS – Jefferson County Community Development Director Chris Gannon resigned his post last week after being accused of violating county conflict of interest policies.

Gannon told The Bulletin on Tuesday that he’d had a ”weak moment” when he purchased $3,300 worth of auto fuel additives and solar mobile phone chargers for the county – from a company he co-owns.

”I made a mistake,” he said. ”It was poor judgment on my part.”

His resignation, delivered and accepted May 23, followed the discovery earlier this month that he charged the products, without authorization, to the county.

The purchases came to light through a standard series of financial audits, according to County Administrator Jeff Rasmussen.

The county does not plan to pursue the case further, Rasmussen said.

Gannon was hired by the county in July 2004. Prior to working for Jefferson County, he had been employed by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

County commissioners said Gannon violated a conflict of interest policy through his purchase of 24 gallons of Ethos Fuel Reformulator at a cost of about $2,700. Gannon owns a 20 percent interest in the company, which distributes the additive as well as the solar-powered cellular phone chargers.

Gannon bought six of the chargers for county use at a cost of about $100 each.

Solar cell phone chargers for county employees, said Commissioner Mike Ahern, ”are definitely not a good purchase. It’s not like we’re wilderness explorers. We can always plug a charger into the car.” An average cell phone charger costs less than $20.

More importantly, Rasmussen said, ”county employees are expected to spend taxpayer dollars in ways that aren’t suspicious.” Gannon’s actions, Rasmussen said, raise questions about how he might have benefited financially.

And, he said, the purchases were made without prior authorization.

Also at issue, according to Rasmussen, was Gannon’s misuse of county computer networks for his own business purposes, in violation of another county policy.

Commissioners discussed early last week whether to terminate Gannon or take disciplinary action, according to Rasmussen.

The accusation that the purchases constituted a conflict of interest, Gannon said, came after a long string of ”philosophical problems” he had with the new county administration.

Commissioners John Hatfield and Ahern took office in January. Rasmussen took over in March for outgoing administrator Matthew Birnie, who left at the end of February.

Gannon said he did not directly benefit from the purchases, which he made in February and March.

”And I could rationalize the benefits to the county (of the purchased products),” he said. ”There was no embezzlement or anything.”

Gannon ”is a good man,” said Ahern. ”He was loyal and had some very good qualities. Chris did a good job for us for a long time.”

But, he said, ”you just can’t do business that way.”