Today@Sam Article

Film Screenings To Explore Municipal Fraud

Jan. 22, 2018
SHSU Media Contact: Hannah Haney

The Sam Houston State University Office of Compliance and the Accounting Department in the College of Business Administration will present three free film screenings of, “All the Queen’s Horses,” a documentary that aims to answer the question, “How could one woman steal $53 million without anyone noticing?”

The film examines the largest municipal fraud in United States history. Filmmaker, Kelly Richmond Pope, conveys the story of a small-town City Comptroller of Dixon, Illinois and how she managed to embezzle $53 million of the city’s money into a personal account without anyone noticing for 22 years. Pope presents her research in documentary format as a medium for understanding fraud and the questions of ethical decision-making within organizations.

"Documentary films grow out of an American journalistic tradition of investigative reporting and muckraking. This type of documentary uses special camera footage and interviews to tell a story in much greater depth than a news story, exposing wrongdoing in vivid detail, " Grant Wiedenfeld, assistant professor of Mass Communication said. "Documentaries like this one remind us of the important power of independent media to protect the public interest, and even to criticize public officials for their missteps."

The screening is sponsored by Houston Area Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiner in support of the SHSU Student ACFE Chapter. The screenings will be free and open to all SHSU students, staff and faculty. 

"It all took place in a town roughly the size of Huntsville, maybe smaller. White collar crimes come in many shapes and sizes and it’s not always executives in large corporations," Joseph Agins, Compliance Officer for the office of Risk Management said.

The first showing will take place in the Lowman Student Center Theater on Jan. 24, at 11 a.m.   then again on Jan. 25, at 4 p.m. There is also a showing at The Woodlands Center Jan. 24, Room 110 at 4 p.m. The film is 71 minutes long.

"Audiences will be provided insight of the fraud that was committed from the perspective of the perpetrator’s co-workers, acquaintances and law enforcement personnel. As a former federal agent that has investigated white collar crimes, I believe the documentary presents a realistic view of embezzlements that are too often committed against an organization by its employees. The documentary should be both an educational and entertaining experience," Oscar Harvin, assistant professor of Accounting said.

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