Duchess the cat was elected mayor of Wiley, SD – population 241 – last year after her predecessor was recalled. Now the cat is potentially facing a recall challenge of her own after a local blogger accused her of widespread abuses of power.
“An audit of town documents obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests shows that Duchess has repeatedly used her political position for personal gain,” wrote the blogger, known only by the nom de plume WileyWatcher.
According to the series of posts, Duchess used town funds to hire an intern whose sole job was to “scratch her frequently behind the ears,” and she apparently gave herself a $500/month “feather and yarn” budget. Most damaging, however, WileyWatcher details how the cat used her position to grant favors to friends.
“When it came time to upgrade the litter box facilities at a local park,” claims the blogger, “the contract went to PawFresh, Inc., a major donor to Duchess’s mayoral campaign. But a close look at the bids submitted for the project reveal that PawFresh was neither the lowest bid nor the most highly rated company.”
Also, she apparently wears a crown around town hall.
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office declined to comment.
