Essex County Council has acknowledged that it made "obviously inappropriate" payments totalling more than £500,000 to a Southend-based prankster over a four-year period.
The council paid Simon Harris 40 times between April 2019 and March 2024, with payments reaching £536,775.
Nearly £350,000 went directly to Harris, who administered the 'Essex Coronavirus Action' and 'Essex is United' social media pages.
A particularly concerning revelation emerged in the council's newly released action plan.
The council paid Simon Harris 40 times between April 2019 and March 2024, with payments reaching £536,775
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The plan said: "£160k was paid to Mr Harris for him to spend to the order of officers. This was obviously inappropriate and we are not aware of anyone else ever having tried this approach."
The council admitted there was no specific guidance against using contractors to make payments to third parties on behalf of officials.
A July 2024 report found the payments for social media groups "did not represent good value for money".
This revelation led to 18 recommendations that Essex County Council accepted.
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Essex County Council has acknowledged making 'obviously inappropriate' payments
The council's report revealed that "lots of oral contracts were entered into" and "written contracts were generally meaningless and vague".
The authority has now accepted recommendations that oral contracts "should be the exception and should not be used for the procurement of complex services".
Harris provided figures showing he made 75 payments to third parties.
The total amount was £163,190.95, which was the amount he received.
A spokesperson for Essex County Council said: 'The pandemic was an extraordinary time'
GETTYThe council's action plan said: "There should be guidance about not using contractors to make payments for others."
The recommendations also specified that contracts should include key performance indicators and outcomes.
Harris defended the funding in January 2024, stating he could only say "a certain amount" due to a police report he made in July 2023 about "the manner in which allegations were being shared with organisations that I work with and also other parties".
He confirmed the funding supported professional community managers, local Facebook group mapping covering over 700 admins and 11,000 communities, climate action work for the Essex Climate Action Commission, and content creation from various individuals including "very famous individuals who provided their own spin on Covid-19 guidance".
A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “We immediately accepted the recommendations made by the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee in July 2024, and this report sets out how we have implemented them.
"The pandemic was an extraordinary time when extraordinary decisions were taken to try and reach residents quickly about the constantly changing public health crisis.
"We understand the need for the fullest possible transparency and accountability, which is why the Leader of the Council proposed the committee examine the concerns raised. We continue to thank committee members for their work, and this report shows what has been done."
The council previously admitted that procurement waivers were granted informally, and some processes weren't followed regarding declarations of interest.
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