Here’s an update to the story about the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s hiring of a Doyle Administration official — with an offer letter to that official — before he had even sent in a resume. Wisconsin Assembly representative Nass subsequently called on the Wisconsin Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen, to investigate. For prior posts, see Update: The Outgoing Wisconsin Administration’s Cronyism, and an original post, The Outgoing Wisconsin Administration’s Cronyism.
Deborah Ziff of the Wisconsin State Journal reports that Van Hollen has concluded that the hiring of Michael Morgan may have violated an established UW Board of Regents policy on hiring senior vice presidents, but that as attorney general he does not have the authority to investigate, and will refer the matter to the Board. See, On Campus: UW System hire may have violated Regents policy, AG says.
Nass makes his point, and Van Hollen makes his, but what then? The Board of Regents may consider the matter, but what are the odds they’ll take any action? The right decision would be to review their own policies, and rescind the offer if those policies have been violated. Morgan might threaten legal action, but does he want more scrutiny of this hiring process? If he’s truly the best candidate (of all those who were never considered but might have applied had they known of the opening), shouldn’t he be willing to interview for the job like any other candidate?
It’s a fair, but also rhetorical, question. If possession is truly nine-tenths of the law, Morgan will hold on to what he has, and enjoy his new position long after the Doyle Adminstrations’s faded into memory.