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Thursday, April 14, 2005

Ind. Gov't. - State worker fined over meals, golf

The Indianapolis Star is reporting this afternoon, in a story on its website by Kevin Corcoran, that:

The State Ethics Commission voted to fine a deputy state auditor $750 today after he acknowledged accepting meals and a round of golf from insurance companies seeking a lucrative state contract.

Deputy Auditor Jeffrey Heinzmann waived his right to a public hearing and agreed to the fine and ethics training to settle the case, which began in December with an anonymous complaint.

Heinzmann, who is the office’s chief legal counsel, also agreed to repay ING and Great West Retirement Services $220.14 for meals and golf they bought him during a September convention in Salt Lake City.

Great West recently won the state contract from the auditor’s office to manage more than $600 million in retirement money for nearly 31,000 state and local government employees and retirees.

Earlier today Corcoran had this story, that began:
A $1,500 bribe paid in an attempt to win contracts worth up to $180,000 to run state park saddle-barn concessions has sparked the first criminal charge from Indiana's newly created inspector general, authorities announced Wednesday.

The investigation began in March after Teresa M. Marshall, a 23-year Department of Natural Resources employee, told her supervisor she had been offered money to help a Metamora man win the state contracts.

The arrest comes as the Republican-controlled General Assembly weighs the fate of Senate Bill 18, Gov. Mitch Daniels' legislation to permanently establish the inspector general's office. * * *

Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said the bribery case shows the need for the state government watchdog office, led by former Clay County Prosecutor David Thomas. Brizzi filed the bribery charge at Thomas' request after a brief State Police investigation. * * *

[Thomas] praised Marshall, a $30,498-a-year DNR concessions specialist, for her willingness to help investigators. Court records state Marshall recorded the transaction with Adkins using digital audio equipment concealed in her purse.

Adkins admitted he offered Marshall $1,000 earlier in the year, but she did not respond. Marshall, at the urging of State Police, called him back to see if the "offer was still on the table," court records show.

Their meeting took place March 31 in the Indiana Government Center South cafeteria while other state employees ate lunch nearby. Adkins told State Police he paid Marshall with a $1,000 check and $500 in cash. In a phone interview from his Franklin County ranch, Adkins said he was entrapped.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 14, 2005 04:18 PM
Posted to Indiana Government