By Antonio D. French
Filed Monday, October 16, 2006 at 8:17 AM
Gov. Matt Blunt wanted MOHELA's executive director fired after criticizing his plan to sell off the agency's assets. And according to a report in yesterday's Columbia Daily Tribune, he quickly got what he wanted.
"In a telephone conference call earlier this year with two members of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority board, Gov. Matt Blunt said he wanted the agency’s executive director replaced," wrote Terry Ganey, former Post-Dispatch reporter and current Tribune staffer.
"The telephone call took place Jan. 24, hours before the board met and fired Executive Director Mike Cummins. But Cummins was not replaced with the man Blunt wanted - Rick Fouts, a former controller at MOHELA."
Ganey got his information from court depositions in Attorney General Jay Nixon's lawsuit against the agency. Click here to read the full story.
According to the Tribune, MOHELA board member James Mauze, a central figure in the firing, said he felt strongly that Cummins should be terminated as executive director for making statements to lawmakers opposing Blunt’s plan to sell MOHELA.
Some Democrats are saying Blunt and Mauze's actions amount to seeking retribution against a whisteblower -- which is illegal. State law clearly states:
"No supervisor or appointing authority of any state agency shall prohibit any employee of the agency from discussing the operations of the agency, either specifically or generally, with any member of the legislature, state auditor, attorney general, or any state official or body charged with investigating such alleged misconduct."
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"In a telephone conference call earlier this year with two members of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority board, Gov. Matt Blunt said he wanted the agency’s executive director replaced," wrote Terry Ganey, former Post-Dispatch reporter and current Tribune staffer."The telephone call took place Jan. 24, hours before the board met and fired Executive Director Mike Cummins. But Cummins was not replaced with the man Blunt wanted - Rick Fouts, a former controller at MOHELA."
Ganey got his information from court depositions in Attorney General Jay Nixon's lawsuit against the agency. Click here to read the full story.
According to the Tribune, MOHELA board member James Mauze, a central figure in the firing, said he felt strongly that Cummins should be terminated as executive director for making statements to lawmakers opposing Blunt’s plan to sell MOHELA.
Some Democrats are saying Blunt and Mauze's actions amount to seeking retribution against a whisteblower -- which is illegal. State law clearly states:
"No supervisor or appointing authority of any state agency shall prohibit any employee of the agency from discussing the operations of the agency, either specifically or generally, with any member of the legislature, state auditor, attorney general, or any state official or body charged with investigating such alleged misconduct."
Developing...
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