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Friday, April 06, 2007
Law - Kentucky attorney involved in fen-phen settlement scandal allegedly was a "ghost employee" in occupying a chair he endowed at Florida law school
A story today by Ron Matus of the St. Petersburg Florida Times is headlined "FAMU 'ghost professor' under scrutiny." Some quotes:
The state Attorney General's Office is reviewing a 23-month-old case involving an endowed chair and a "ghost employee" at the Florida A&M University law school.A search of the ILB for the name "Shirley Cunningham" turned up this long list of entries involving the fen-phen scandal in Kentucky.Nearly two years ago, interim FAMU president Castell Bryant fired a high-powered Kentucky lawyer, Shirley Cunningham Jr., after Bryant said she found no evidence that he had done any work as an endowed chair at the law school.
Cunningham had given FAMU $1-million for the chair and then, in a highly unusual arrangement, was appointed to the chair and given a $100,000-a-year salary.
Two months ago, the state Department of Financial Services concluded Bryant was right, and recommended FAMU take steps to recover nearly $200,000 for "salary and benefits not earned."
FAMU trustees referred the matter to the Attorney General's Office, which began a review last week. * * *
Then-law school dean Percy Luney Jr., whom Bryant put on leave just days after firing Cunningham, mounted a vigorous defense by arguing that two of FAMU's former presidents - Frederick Humphries and Fred Gainous - made key decisions about Cunningham's appointment.
Cunningham's job required no teaching or research. Instead, FAMU documents showed, he and Luney agreed on a half-dozen projects, including developing a bar exam prep program, raising funds for scholarships and working toward establishment of an agricultural law center.
The Department of Financial Services concluded he didn't even do that. * * *
Cunningham, meanwhile, is the target of a grand jury investigation in Kentucky stemming from accusations he defrauded clients in a $200-million settlement involving the diet-drug fen-phen. He has been temporarily suspended from practicing law.
Cunningham declined to talk to Florida financial investigators about the chair affair. Neither he nor his attorney could be reached for comment this week.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 6, 2007 02:05 PM
Posted to General Law Related