The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Old Dominion University President John Broderick is satisfied that ODU's employment contract with a powerful state lawmaker is appropriate and poses no conflict of interests, a spokeswoman said Friday.
Broderick met Thursday with William Graves, dean of ODU's Darden College of Education, and a university attorney to discuss Del. Phillip Hamilton's $40,000-a-year contract as coordinator of the Center for Teacher Quality and Educational Leadership, said spokeswoman Jennifer Mullen, who also attended the meeting.
Dave Blackburn, director of the Program for Research and Evaluation in Public Schools - the man who hired Hamilton - participated by telephone from Martinsville.
"Everything that we looked at indicates that there's no conflict here," Mullen said. "Everything was done properly. Mr. Hamilton was hired because of his qualifications. There's no denying that he is eminently qualified to be doing the tasks for the university that he is."
The Virginian-Pilot reported Thursday that Hamilton, a semiretired educator, was hired by ODU as an independent contractor in 2007 after he sponsored an amendment to the state budget providing startup funding for the new center.
The center has received $500,000 yearly in state money since then.
Hamilton, a Newport News Republican who is seeking re-election in the fall, is a senior member of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee.
A government ethics expert and Hamilton's Democratic election opponent have said Hamilton's hiring by the center he helped create poses a conflict of interests.
Hamilton said there is no conflict because he was not yet on the ODU payroll when he introduced the budget amendment and has done nothing to advance the center's funding since he was hired.
Mullen said Broderick asked Graves to keep monitoring the matter in case there is any further suggestion of impropriety.
Bill Sizemore, (757) 446-2276, bill.sizemore@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
What's happening ODU?
First the football stadium naming article and now this. What's going on at ODU? Has the need for funding become greater than the need for integrity?
ODU
Note that the Ballard agreement and the Hamilton agreement both occurred more than three years ago. Landing clearly on the watch of departed President Runta.
Perhaps a reason she left for points north.
He's A Good "Ole Boy!
In Richmond they have a saying: "You scratch my back; I'll scratch yours." Logrolling.
The school, program and his professional reputation tainted forever, no matter what his qualifications.
"Everything that we looked at indicates that there's no conflict here," Mullen said. We now know how far they looked. Myopic.
Lack of transparency KILLS accountability!
This is just one story of many that are like it in the Virginia legislature.
But who cares, right? It's just money.
No transparency?
He reported the income on his financial statement and did not violate any regulations. What more do you want? There were no secrets here.
Interest
One delegate pushed for $5000.00 for ODU, so ODU gives him $40,000. And there is not a conflict of interest? Is he joking or trying to cover up? Blackburn and Graves should immediately resign. These "arrogants" never thought they would get caught. Did ReNee Dunman, AA/EEO Officer, signed off on this? I know the Virginian Pilot is pro-Broderick, but someone needs to conduct an investigation. Not only was there a conflict of interest, University policy on hiring was not followed.
Certainly not a conflict of interests
The delegate helped get the funding, then he got a job running the what he helped fund. There is no conflict. They tie together quite nicely.
NC is going through the opposite issue regarding former Gov's wife's employment at NC State. Of course, all the principals at NC State lost their jobs, so there must have been conflict there. Interesting.
Plumbing the Depths
Does this matter plumb the depths of the gullibility of the proletariats?
Does this quote apply “a long habit of not thinking a thing WRONG, gives it a superficial appearance of being RIGHT” from the Introduction to Common Sense by Thomas Paine?
How can I help???
"Hamilton said there is no conflict because he was not yet on the ODU payroll when he introduced the budget amendment..."
No,he wasn't, since it was a condition of his employment...."get us $500,000.0 a year and you're in for $40,000.00 a year...." If it looks like a scam, and smells like a scam and everyone that reads this story scrunches up their nose at it because of what it obviously is....it's a scam..
Wait for the evidence rather than making rash accusations.
TioDon, you make quite an accusation. I don't think we can be assured that this was a quid pro quo situation. Hamilton has a clean record of good service and since the emails have been foia'd we will see if there was a conflict of interest. As Leigh Anne Collier said, "If Delegate Hamilton doesn't have anything to hide, this shouldn't be a problem."