What kind of work environment is that? It's pretty scary stuff." You have to watch everything, including empty eyeglass cases. "Whether they fire Chelsea or not is their decision, but the president needs to say, 'We have to change this whole organization.'" said Senate Republican leader Len Fasano of North Haven. Three top CLC officials - Smith, Stone and Human Resources Director Jodi Ketchale - declined to answer even basic questions from Government Watch immediately after the meeting ended, including whether or not Turner was receiving her salary while on leave.Īlthough Stone finally released Smith's letter just before the weekend, the CLC's earlier silence prompted criticism on Thursday from two state lawmakers who have questioned the management of the revenue-raising agency during recent years of turmoil, dating to a 2015 scandal over fraud by some lottery retailers in the 5 Card Cash game. On Wednesday, the CLC's board of directors held a special meeting at CLC headquarters in Rocky Hill, and met for 80 minutes in a closed-door executive session for what it described as a "discussion of employment-related conduct of a senior employee." Board members emerged only long enough to adjourn the meeting after saying they had taken no votes or official actions during the executive session. Unanswered questions piled up in following days: What did Turner and Noble tell the FBI about Farricker that got the feds to investigate him? How many times was Farricker recorded without his knowledge, before the inquiry ended with no apparent results? Who else was secretly recorded? (The FBI has not answered any of those questions, nor even confirmed it ever got involved.) She further testified that then-lottery CEO Anne Noble also was suspicious of Farricker, and they both talked to the FBI, which had Noble secretly record Farricker in at least one meeting - using a small recording device concealed inside Noble's eyeglass case. He didn't answer follow-up questions, including what effect Turner's sick leave might have.Īll of this is happening after Turner disclosed on July 9 - in explosive testimony during a hearing on an ex-lottery official's whistleblower's complaint - that around 2014 she contacted a friend of hers in the FBI about what she considered suspicious actions by Frank Farricker, who then was the CLC's governing board chairman. Also, Turner "has notified the CLC that she is on sick leave," CLC General Counsel Matthew Stone said in an email Friday afternoon to The Courant that contained Smith's letter. He added that "you are to be available should the agency need you" but "are not to report back to work until you are notified to do so." In the meantime, Smith wrote: "You are not permitted to enter the Lottery premises or the drawing studio unless instructed to do so by me." "While on paid Administrative Leave, you are not to conduct any agency business or have access to any office or facility of the unless otherwise authorized by the agency," Smith wrote. you are being placed on Administrative Leave with pay" under provisions of a state personnel regulation that says such a leave can last "up to fifteen (15) days to permit investigation of alleged serious misconduct which could constitute just cause for dismissal." The regulation further says that "such leave shall" only be utilized if the employee's presence at work could be harmful to the public, the welfare, health or safety of patients, inmates or state employees or state property." "This letter is to provide you with written notice that effective Monday, July 15. Friday, the agency released a July 12 letter, sent by CLC President/CEO Greg Smith to Turner, that seemed to confirm the potential seriousness of the situation she now faces: (CLC) was extremely guarded in releasing information this week about its latest upheaval - this time in the form of an order Monday that lottery Vice President Chelsea Turner be placed on an indefinite leave from her $190,000-a-year job, after disclosing in sworn testimony on July 9 that she contacted the FBI about five years ago with suspicions of wrongdoing by a superior.īut finally, around 3 p.m.
0 kommentar(er)
