I posted last week about the cushy job that a Doyle Administration official, Michael Morgan, got with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. See, The Outgoing Wisconsin Administration’s Cronyism. Morgan didn’t even need to submit a resume before he got the six-figure job! (A public records request from the Wisconsin State Journal revealed that he emailed it only after he got the offer.)
State Representative Nass, representing Whitewater, has called for the Wisconsin Attorney General to investigate:
The appointment has become controversial because Morgan’s salary is going up by $108,000 per year, and UW System President Kevin Reilly did not post the position or conduct any kind of formal search. E-mails revealed that Reilly offered Morgan the job without looking at his resume or conducting a criminal background check.
In a letter to Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, Nass noted that Board of Regents policy says Reilly “shall appoint” a committee to search for and recommend candidates for high-level administrative jobs such as Morgan’s.
He noted that another UW policy statement commits the administration to following equal employment and affirmative action principles in the hiring of all positions. Morgan is black.
“In this case, President Reilly appointed no advisory committee, considered no other candidates for this position and has refused to publicly discuss this matter,” Nass wrote. “All of these actions are highly unusual and President Reilly must be held to account for any inappropriate conduct in this matter.”
A spokesman for Van Hollen said his office is reviewing the request.
See, Lawmaker Asks for Review of UW-System Appointment.
Nass is right — this appointment deserves scrutiny on its own. It should also be a reminder to the incumbent administration that political appointees are not entitled simply to take state posts as part of a last-year-in-office job placement strategy.