Sexual Misconduct With Employee Past No Impediment For New Agency Head

The man Gov. Mitch Daniels tapped to be his Director of the Department of Administration was fired from his previous job running the American Red Cross for having an extramarital affair with a fellow employee. The Star's Bill Ruthhart writes of Mark Everson:

Everson, 54, will run the Department of Administration, which manages the state's vehicle fleet, real estate purchases and state government center while providing support services to other agencies.

Everson has worked for the governor before, as deputy director in the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush when Daniels served as OMB director. Everson said Thursday his past work with Daniels was a key factor in taking the administration department job . . .

Everson served as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service for four years before being named president and chief executive officer of the American Red Cross in May 2007.

He was forced to resign from that job in November 2007 after having an inappropriate relationship with a female subordinate.

Everson said the circumstances of his Red Cross departure were "regretful" and he was "very sorry about it."

"I've gone through some real, obviously, personal knocks in the sense that I'm now divorced after 23 years (of marriage), so it was not an easy period," he said. "But it's been some time ago now, and I'm thankful for this new opportunity."