Joe Harris, former leader of Cotswold District Council, has been fully cleared of any misconduct following allegations linked to a counter fraud investigation. The Liberal Democrat councillor voluntarily referred himself to the council’s monitoring officer last year to ensure full transparency after being identified as the unnamed councillor in the inquiry.
An extensive review concluded that Cllr Harris did not influence the procurement process for communication and rebranding services. There was no evidence that he took part in bid evaluations, contract awarding, or exerted undue pressure on council officers. Importantly, it was confirmed that he received no personal or indirect benefit, and no undeclared conflict of interest existed.
The subsequent code of conduct investigation emphasized that any procedural issues pertained solely to internal officer processes, absolving Cllr Harris of any fault. Welcoming the findings, Harris expressed relief and frustration over the impact unfounded rumours and conspiracy theories had on him and his family during the investigation.
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He highlighted that his partner’s employment by one of the unsuccessful bidding firms occurred months after the procurement had concluded, further distancing him from any conflicts of interest. Harris emphasized the importance of proper procedures, saying: “If the counter fraud team had interviewed me during their initial investigation, much of this could have been avoided.”
Cllr Harris now calls on the council to issue an apology for the harm caused to his reputation. Meanwhile, District Council leader Mike Evemy acknowledged the strain the process placed on Harris and confirmed that lessons learned have already led to improvements in the council’s procurement protocols to maintain transparency and integrity moving forward.