J-State Tiger
Senate Candidate #7
A&M will pay $395K following U.S.
probe
Gibson's wife, accused of falsifying payroll, will
return to faculty
07/20/01
By MIKE MARSHALL and JOHN PECK
Times Staff Writers
One month after Alabama A&M University President John
Gibson was given a three-year contract extension, the
school agreed on July 9 to pay more than $395,000 as a
result of a five-year federal investigation that included
Gibson and his wife, Voncile.
Gibson, A&M's president since July 1996, and his wife
were the subject of state and federal investigations for
allegedly pocketing federal money for work that wasn't
done.
The state ethics investigation began in spring 1997, after
A&M internal auditor Gene Myracle distributed an informal
report that accused Voncile Gibson of taking $33,500 by
''falsifying payroll documents.''
The money was earmarked for an Army Enhanced Skills
Training Program, which was designed to help ROTC
cadets improve academic and social skills that are
required for Army officers.
Gibson said Thursday that his wife, who has been on paid
leave since January 2000, will return to the A&M faculty
this fall as director of developmental education.
The July 9 agreement with the U.S. attorney's office in
Birmingham, announced Thursday, calls for A&M to refund
the money to the Army in three installments between this
week and October 2002, plus 8.5 percent interest on the
unpaid balance after the first $145,000 payment.
With the interest, the settlement could cost A&M as much
as $409,000. Signing the agreement were Gibson, A&M
board attorney Rod Steakley, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim
Gann and an attorney for the Army.
Gibson said Thursday that the money would be paid out of
''residual funds in an ROTC account.''
''It's been something that was an undue burden for five
years,'' Gibson said. ''We're happy it's behind us, so we
can push this university to great heights.''
A&M made no admission of liability, according to the U.S.
attorney's office.
Gann said the agreement set University will pay $395,000
following U.S. probe A&M Continued from page A1 tles the
matter as far as A&M ''as an institution'' and the U.S.
attorney's office are concerned. But, he said, the
agreement does not prevent the Army from proceeding with
its own investigation.
Federal prosecutors also could take future criminal or civil
actions against A&M or other relevant parties if new
information is found, he said.
Paul Kotakis, chief of public affairs for the U.S. Army
Cadet Command in Fort Monroe, Va., said Thursday that
the Army's fraud and procurement division is still
investigating the A&M matter.
''The settlement agreement does not constitute the final
word on the subject,'' he said.
Kotakis said the division is focusing on actions by
individuals whom he would not name.
About one month before the settlement, at a meeting of
A&M trustees June 8, Gibson, 52, received a three-year
contract extension. His contract now runs through July
2005.
Gibson's salary was $162,701 in the 1999-2000 academic
year, the latest figures on file with the Alabama
Commission on Higher Education.
Steakley said the A&M trustees were ''deeply interested'' in
the validity of the charges before extending Gibson's
contract.
''It is my belief that had they not been convinced these
matters were behind him, they would not have taken the
action they did,'' Steakley said.
Steakley said he considered the accusations ''politically
motivated.'' The Alabama attorney general's office began its
investigation after the Alabama Ethics Commission, in a
unanimous vote, said in May 1998 there was ''probable
cause'' to believe the Gibsons used their office for personal
gain.
''They were carefully calculated attacks to undermine (his)
credibility and to try to hurt Dr. Gibson and his
administration,'' Steakley said of the accusations.
State Ethics Director Jim Sumner said that although
prosecutors have a heavier burden of proof than the Ethics
Commission, ethics investigators felt there was conclusive
evidence to win a conviction.
''We feel very comfortable we reached the right conclusion,''
Sumner said.
Richard Allen, chief deputy of the Alabama attorney
general's office, said this week that the state ethics
charges were dropped for ''insufficient evidence.''
The Gibsons denied wrongdoing. In 1999, the Army
conducted an audit of the campus-based ROTC tutoring
program and documented several irregularities. The
classes of the Enhanced Skills Training Program are
designed to boost the social and academic abilities of
prospective Army officers.
The audit found A&M billed and the Army paid $1.5 million
for the skills program over seven years. But the school
collected $641,512 ''above its cost in what was supposed
to be a nonprofit venture'' and transferred the money to the
school's general fund, according to the audit.
The audit said the university inflated the number of
students it reported in the program those years by claiming
50 to 114 students served when the enrollment was
actually 21 to 81 students. The audit said Voncile Gibson
and a secretary were paid nearly $91,000 for work that had
nothing to do with the ROTC skills program.
The contract has strict reporting requirements and
specifically prohibits the program manager from doing any
other work during regular hours. From October 1991 to
September 1999, Voncile Gibson held a combined position
of program manager for the skills program and director of
developmental education.
Gann on Thursday declined to say specifically what portion
of the audit the settlement addresses. He did say,
however, that a big problem is over how the ROTC money
was obtained.
The U.S. attorney's office "had to base it on whether they
got that money through submitting false claims - in this
case, the student-load issue - or if they submitted
inaccurate cost and pricing information when they
negotiated this contract with the government,'' Gann said.
Gann said the $395,000 A&M agreed to repay falls far
short of what auditors believe the Army lost.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How Dare you Steal from the boys in uniform.
What makes people think they can steal from uncle Sam? he is gonna get his no matter what.
probe
Gibson's wife, accused of falsifying payroll, will
return to faculty
07/20/01
By MIKE MARSHALL and JOHN PECK
Times Staff Writers
One month after Alabama A&M University President John
Gibson was given a three-year contract extension, the
school agreed on July 9 to pay more than $395,000 as a
result of a five-year federal investigation that included
Gibson and his wife, Voncile.
Gibson, A&M's president since July 1996, and his wife
were the subject of state and federal investigations for
allegedly pocketing federal money for work that wasn't
done.
The state ethics investigation began in spring 1997, after
A&M internal auditor Gene Myracle distributed an informal
report that accused Voncile Gibson of taking $33,500 by
''falsifying payroll documents.''
The money was earmarked for an Army Enhanced Skills
Training Program, which was designed to help ROTC
cadets improve academic and social skills that are
required for Army officers.
Gibson said Thursday that his wife, who has been on paid
leave since January 2000, will return to the A&M faculty
this fall as director of developmental education.
The July 9 agreement with the U.S. attorney's office in
Birmingham, announced Thursday, calls for A&M to refund
the money to the Army in three installments between this
week and October 2002, plus 8.5 percent interest on the
unpaid balance after the first $145,000 payment.
With the interest, the settlement could cost A&M as much
as $409,000. Signing the agreement were Gibson, A&M
board attorney Rod Steakley, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim
Gann and an attorney for the Army.
Gibson said Thursday that the money would be paid out of
''residual funds in an ROTC account.''
''It's been something that was an undue burden for five
years,'' Gibson said. ''We're happy it's behind us, so we
can push this university to great heights.''
A&M made no admission of liability, according to the U.S.
attorney's office.
Gann said the agreement set University will pay $395,000
following U.S. probe A&M Continued from page A1 tles the
matter as far as A&M ''as an institution'' and the U.S.
attorney's office are concerned. But, he said, the
agreement does not prevent the Army from proceeding with
its own investigation.
Federal prosecutors also could take future criminal or civil
actions against A&M or other relevant parties if new
information is found, he said.
Paul Kotakis, chief of public affairs for the U.S. Army
Cadet Command in Fort Monroe, Va., said Thursday that
the Army's fraud and procurement division is still
investigating the A&M matter.
''The settlement agreement does not constitute the final
word on the subject,'' he said.
Kotakis said the division is focusing on actions by
individuals whom he would not name.
About one month before the settlement, at a meeting of
A&M trustees June 8, Gibson, 52, received a three-year
contract extension. His contract now runs through July
2005.
Gibson's salary was $162,701 in the 1999-2000 academic
year, the latest figures on file with the Alabama
Commission on Higher Education.
Steakley said the A&M trustees were ''deeply interested'' in
the validity of the charges before extending Gibson's
contract.
''It is my belief that had they not been convinced these
matters were behind him, they would not have taken the
action they did,'' Steakley said.
Steakley said he considered the accusations ''politically
motivated.'' The Alabama attorney general's office began its
investigation after the Alabama Ethics Commission, in a
unanimous vote, said in May 1998 there was ''probable
cause'' to believe the Gibsons used their office for personal
gain.
''They were carefully calculated attacks to undermine (his)
credibility and to try to hurt Dr. Gibson and his
administration,'' Steakley said of the accusations.
State Ethics Director Jim Sumner said that although
prosecutors have a heavier burden of proof than the Ethics
Commission, ethics investigators felt there was conclusive
evidence to win a conviction.
''We feel very comfortable we reached the right conclusion,''
Sumner said.
Richard Allen, chief deputy of the Alabama attorney
general's office, said this week that the state ethics
charges were dropped for ''insufficient evidence.''
The Gibsons denied wrongdoing. In 1999, the Army
conducted an audit of the campus-based ROTC tutoring
program and documented several irregularities. The
classes of the Enhanced Skills Training Program are
designed to boost the social and academic abilities of
prospective Army officers.
The audit found A&M billed and the Army paid $1.5 million
for the skills program over seven years. But the school
collected $641,512 ''above its cost in what was supposed
to be a nonprofit venture'' and transferred the money to the
school's general fund, according to the audit.
The audit said the university inflated the number of
students it reported in the program those years by claiming
50 to 114 students served when the enrollment was
actually 21 to 81 students. The audit said Voncile Gibson
and a secretary were paid nearly $91,000 for work that had
nothing to do with the ROTC skills program.
The contract has strict reporting requirements and
specifically prohibits the program manager from doing any
other work during regular hours. From October 1991 to
September 1999, Voncile Gibson held a combined position
of program manager for the skills program and director of
developmental education.
Gann on Thursday declined to say specifically what portion
of the audit the settlement addresses. He did say,
however, that a big problem is over how the ROTC money
was obtained.
The U.S. attorney's office "had to base it on whether they
got that money through submitting false claims - in this
case, the student-load issue - or if they submitted
inaccurate cost and pricing information when they
negotiated this contract with the government,'' Gann said.
Gann said the $395,000 A&M agreed to repay falls far
short of what auditors believe the Army lost.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How Dare you Steal from the boys in uniform.
What makes people think they can steal from uncle Sam? he is gonna get his no matter what.
