The disclosure form, which is required of superintendents and chief financial officers in larger Missouri school districts, shows Huff's only outside income coming as a partner in D&H Developers, his family's business in McCune, Kansas, which lists as its nature of business "rental property."
D&H Developers was also lifted as Huff's only outside interest in 2012 and 2013.
The financial disclosure reports are signed under penalty of perjury.
Huff's speaking fees were fitst brought to the public's attention by a blog written by two Joplin High School students in the summer of 2013. A spokeswoman for the Washington Speakers Bureau told the students that Huff spoke frequently for them and charged $8,000 a speech, plus travel expenses.
Huff dealt with the fallout from that blog post, by having the Joplin Globe write an article about the district's "thank-you" travel, reported at $89,000 in which Huff was hopscotching the country thanking people for helping us after the tornado.
In that article, Huff acknowledged that the Washington Speakers Bureau contacted him and asked him to make one speech, though he did not say which one that was (and apparently, the Globe did not ask). The Turner Report confirmed that a speech given in New Mexico by Huff in 2013 was given through the Washington Speakers Bureau.
Despite his comments, Huff has made no efforts to have his name removed from the Washington Speakers Bureau, or from other speaker bureaus that list him at prices ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 a speech.
His Washington Speakers Bureau information has been updated and has been used in advertising for some of the speeches listed below.
Huff's speaking itinerary in 2014 included the following:
Thursday, Jan. 23- Wisconsin Association of School Boards
Thursday, Feb. 20- Columbia- An Evening With C. J. Huff- Council of PTAs
Monday,July 14, -Wednesday, July 16- National School Public Relations Association, Baltimore, Maryland. (panel discussion)
Tuesday, July 22 Tenth Annual Arkansas Safe Schools Conference, North Little Rock
Thursday, September 25, Friday, September 26- Speeches in Chicago, Illinois
Friday, October 10- Keynote speaker at professional development for Elk Island Public School District, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada.
Wednesday, November 5- keynote speaker for Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas
Tuesday,November 18- Saskatchewan School Boards Association
(The list does not include speeches Huff made for Bright Futures USA or speeches that were given in-state.)
Anyone accepting over $600 in payment for their services (in a year) receive a 1099 filed by the payer. Some payees do not file these if they have a business and report the fees as business income (but they must file a return for that business). Of course, this revenue may be offset by costs or expenses also filed by the business.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that the Speakers Bureau receives a commission from the booking. A very easy check and balance.
Maybe they leave him cash on the nightstand the next morning...
ReplyDeleteD &H Developers sounds like a money laundering scheme.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't understand is why anyone would pay him to speak. After watching numerous BOE meetings and the occasional media interview I've noticed that for every one word he speaks, he adds 10 or more Ums or Uhs that make it impossible to follow what he's saying. But that being said, I want the truth about these speaking fees. How is he covering this up?
ReplyDeleteThis man lies like most people breathe. Doesn't have to think about it. It just rolls right out. Surely by now the IRS is interested.
ReplyDeleteSounds like he is promoting Joplin very well and far and wide. Anyone who likes Joplin would do the same and be proud to do it. I guess some people would be prouder if Brian Williams was representing Joplin. He's getting a fine reputation.
ReplyDeleteHe's promoting Huff, not Joplin. Don't be fooled!
ReplyDelete@ 4:55
ReplyDeleteIn his speeches Huff talks about coming to a Joplin racked by poverty, ignorance, and complacency. He then promotes himself as the hero who brought the light of knowledge to the blighted city, just to have to save it again after the tornado. He gives these speeches despite the numbers displayed in their precious data that indicate that learning has only gone backward, and that it took tremendous cheating to get his miraculous graduation rate. That his governing board is either too stupid or too corrupt, or both, to see what is wrong is inexcusable.
Perhaps you, also, are like the board. The rest of us have long since caught on to this manipulative, cheating, swindling conman and want him as far from our children as is humanly possible. He should never have a job in education again. Hard labor might be a good profession for him now. Perhaps you'd like to join him in that endeavor since you like him so much.
I'd rather he didn't speak for me or my city anymore, and he could at least pay taxes on his earnings. But he won't because he thinks he can lie his way out of it.
Here's the deal: he has done some legal kungfu and technically, he didnt make any money, I guarantee it. He has the funds disbursed to a third party, absolving him of any ethics reporting liability.
ReplyDeleteThis is a common technique, and nothing illegal has happened (probably). I don't believe that he would be that ignorant (probably).
Rip on him all you like, he has access to resources that the average bear doesn't. And this little mystery is evidence of just that. The money is safe and sound, just waiting for some more legal gymnastics to realize it.