THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 5, 1995 TAG: 9501050402
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY DENNIS PATTERSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
While new U.S. Rep. Walter Jones was spending his first day in Washington on Wednesday dealing with the national debt, an old friend was trying to get him to deal with a personal debt back home.
George Parrott filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Carteret County seeking $6,336.24 in principal and interest for a 1990 loan he made to Jones.
``Right after the election he said he was going to pay me immediately,'' Parrott said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. ``When I saw he had gone up to Washington without paying me, I figured maybe it was going to be a lot longer than that.''
Glenn Downs, Jones' administrative assistant in Washington, said he was unaware of the lawsuit or the debt.
``I don't know what to say because I have no knowledge of it,'' said Downs, the only person available in Jones' office as Republicans celebrated their first day in charge of the new Congress.
Parrott, who lives in Atlantic Beach, said he loaned the money to Jones in May 1990 while Jones was in the state Legislature. Jones was concerned about some debts he had and said that the time he was spending in the General Assembly was keeping him from his business, Parrott said.
``We were pretty close friends at the time,'' Parrott said. ``I had $5,000 in a savings account, so I loaned it to him.''
He loaned him $1,000 more four months later.
A handwritten note on Jones' legislative stationery filed by Parrott says that on May 3, 1990, Jones' ``dear friend'' loaned him $5,000. The note, signed by Jones, says he intends to pay off the debt in a year at 9 percent interest. It also instructs Jones' estate to pay Parrott in case Jones dies within the year.
Parrott said he received $2,500 from Jones in March 1993.
``He told me he would be paying me the rest very shortly, in a couple of weeks,'' Parrott said.
The $6,336 he is seeking represents the balance at 9 percent interest, Parrott said.
Parrott worked in the North Carolina secretary of state's office for five years, then moved to the state Department of Transportation. He left DOT after three months, according to state records.
Parrott said he left DOT last July intending to work for Jones' congressional campaign. But he said he did not work for Jones after some of Jones' Republican advisers bridled at having a Democrat in the campaign.
Jones served 10 years in the Legislature as a Democrat, but switched to the Republican Party in 1992 after losing a bid for the 1st District congressional seat. His father had represented the 1st District for more than 20 years.
Jones unseated incumbent Democrat Martin Lancaster Nov. 8 to take the 3rd District congressional seat.
KEYWORDS: LAWSUITS by CNB