#MTGov Daily Rundown: Senators Call for Investigation into Whistleblower Retaliation
ICYMI - As lawmakers call for Bullock to be investigated, FBI reopens investigation into Clinton emails.
State Sens. Dee Brown and Bob Keenan are calling for an investigation into allegations that state workers were fired or reprimanded by the Bullock Administration for whistleblower activities.
"State Sen. Bob Keenan, R-Bigfork, and Sen. Dee Brown, R-Hungry Horse, wrote a letter to House and Senate members requesting that a special legislative committee appointed by leadership look into allegations of retaliation against whistleblower complaints from state government employees.
Both Keenan and Brown emphasized the seriousness of the issue and said that the legislature would exercise its oversight powers on the matter.
“'It’s appalling to think that any state employee would be retaliated against for shedding light on fraud and abuse within the workplace,'” Keenan said. 'The allegations that have surfaced over the past few months deserve the Legislature’s full attention, and we hope our colleagues support our call for an investigation.'
“'This is exactly why I put in a bill draft for legislative oversight of the agencies,' Brown said. 'They do anything they want when we’re gone after our 90-day sessions and come to the next legislature with their hands out because they’ve spent more money than we budgeted. We cannot continue doing business like this for the taxpayers’ sake. Something must change.'” -Flathead Beacon, 10/27/2016
Yesterday, news broke that former DPHHS Audit Bureau Chief filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful termination, because she refused to violate the law and make improper payments. "The state has been hit with a wrongful termination lawsuit from a former employee of the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services.
Carol Bondy, the the former Audit Bureau Chief of DPHHS, claims she was fired after refusing to violate several public policies, despite being directed to do so by DPHHS." -MTN News, 10/25/2016
The article notes that Bondy cried foul over a payment that was being made to a contractor with strong ties to the Democratic Party.
Bondy was concerned about the Montana PEAKS (Performers in Education and Acquisition Knowledge Systems) contract. She says this group was given a contract even though the Audit Bureau had advised management the contractor was not entitled to payment.
The lawsuit states: “Bondy expressed her concerns that the payment was improperly being made because this particular contractor had strong political ties to the Democratic Party.” -MTN News, 10/25/2016
DeAnne Cooney, wife of Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney, has now recused herself from the lawsuit due to a potential conflict of interest.
Other DPHHS auditors who are tasked with holding state agencies accountable have accused administration officials of retaliating against them for doing their job.
The lawsuit states: “Bondy expressed her concerns that the payment was improperly being made because this particular contractor had strong political ties to the Democratic Party.” -MTN News, 10/25/2016
DeAnne Cooney, wife of Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney, has now recused herself from the lawsuit due to a potential conflict of interest.
"District Judge DeeAnn Cooney has recused herself from presiding over a wrongful discharge lawsuit filed by a former state auditor against the State of Montana, her clerk confirmed in a Wednesday email.
Cooney was appointed to the job by Gov. Steve Bullock in December upon the retirement of Judge Jeffrey Sherlock, and is running for election to hold that seat. She also is the wife of Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, whom Bullock appointed a couple of months later.
The case in question involves allegations leveled broadly at the governor and his staff." -Helena IR, 10/26/2016
Other DPHHS auditors who are tasked with holding state agencies accountable have accused administration officials of retaliating against them for doing their job.
"Former Montana auditors have accused state officials of discouraging Department of Health and Human Services staffers from investigating a variety of questioned payments dating back to 2005." -Helena IR, 9/11/2016
"Emails from current and former DPHHS staffers, along with court filings and whistleblower complaints obtained by the Independent Record, identified at least seven long-tenured state employees who raised red flags before they were demoted or fired. At least three staffers who raised questions were accused of insubordination before being fired.
Two of those staffers claim high-level administrators, acting on orders from Bullock, pushed through “questionable” welfare payments to important Democratic voting blocs on Indian reservations and ignored DPHHS auditors’ questions about hefty checks cut to major welfare program contractors. Bullock, through a spokeswoman, flatly denied those claims." -Helena IR, 9/11/2016
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported earlier this month that the Bullock Administration has paid more than $900,000 to settle employee claims. The administration refuses to say why in most cases, and at least one legal expert says that the administration is violating the law.
"Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s administration has paid more than $900,000 in settlements to state employees over the last three years, according to public records. On most, state agencies won’t say why.
The state has paid 42 employees settlements totaling more than $745,000. Each is listed as 'confidential' in the state’s checkbook, which has been published online since 2013, the year Bullock first took office. The payments range in amounts from $120 to $122,000." -Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 10/13/2016
One former employee said that the settlements were, at times used to cover up misdeeds and prevent whistle blowing.
"One former employee who received a large settlement payment said, in some cases, state agencies use the confidential payments to cover up misdeeds." -Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 10/13/2016
"A former state employee, speaking to the Chronicle on the condition of anonymity for fear of being sued by the state, said they were fired in 2015 after nearly 10 years on the job. The state agency cited mandatory staff reductions in the termination. The former employee filed a complaint with the Human Rights Bureau that alleged discrimination.
'Less than 24 hours later (the agency) called and offered a settlement,' the former state employee said. The settlement amount, more than $50,000, was contingent in part upon a contract to never disclose the settlement. And the former state employee believes that the firing was in retaliation for whistleblower activities." -Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 10/13/2016
One former employee said that the settlements were, at times used to cover up misdeeds and prevent whistle blowing.
"One former employee who received a large settlement payment said, in some cases, state agencies use the confidential payments to cover up misdeeds." -Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 10/13/2016
"A former state employee, speaking to the Chronicle on the condition of anonymity for fear of being sued by the state, said they were fired in 2015 after nearly 10 years on the job. The state agency cited mandatory staff reductions in the termination. The former employee filed a complaint with the Human Rights Bureau that alleged discrimination.
'Less than 24 hours later (the agency) called and offered a settlement,' the former state employee said. The settlement amount, more than $50,000, was contingent in part upon a contract to never disclose the settlement. And the former state employee believes that the firing was in retaliation for whistleblower activities." -Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 10/13/2016
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