UPDATE: Here's a statement from the Governor's office on the resignation of Miller and the naming of Miller's chief of staff, Scott Waddell, as Miller's replacement alluding to his arrest yesterday as "an extremely sad situation":
This afternoon, Andy Miller resigned effective immediately as the Commissioner of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The governor has named R. Scott Waddell, the BMV's chief of staff, as the new commissioner. Governor Daniels issued this statement about Andy Miller:Hat tip to Indiana Law Blog.
"Andy Miller has been an exceptional public servant. Indiana farmers, flood victims, motorists and taxpayers in general all have benefited from his hard work and leadership in three important capacities. I also know him to be a devoted father to three children, including one saved from cancer by Riley Children’s Hospital, for which Andy in turn has raised substantial funds in gratitude. If things are as reported, the law must be respected, but either way this is just an extremely sad situation."
Waddell joined the BMV in March 2009 as deputy commissioner for policy. He later was named chief of staff for finance and administration. He owned and was president of Standard Locknut, Inc., a precision component manufacturing company in Westfield from 1977 to 2007, when he sold the company.
4 comments:
This is what is so frustrating about Daniels. Why not just appoint Waddell as "acting" Commissioner and spend some time vetting candidates before making a permanent appointment? Then if Waddell is the best person, you remove the "acting" in his title.
So many of the Gov's appointments to executive agencies seem to have gone through no screening at all by the Governor's people. Then after he appoints them, there is often no oversight over what they're doing until things get majorly screwed up. I remember the problems they had with the Lottery Commissioner. Daniels was warned of the problem and didn't take an action.
@ Paul: Daniels did the same thing when he removed Andy Penca very suddenly at Workforce Development in September 2007 (for not going on a trade mission with Daniels to Asia). He immediately upgraded the general counsel of DWD, Teresa Voors, without giving a second thought to her past record.
Paul did a blog entry before about DWD's IT Deputy Commissioner being cited for an ethics violation (http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2009/02/feds-find-ethics-conflict-at-indiana.html), and you have mentioned it before in a response to me, Gary. In 2006, Teresa Voors (nee Melton) was DWD's General Counsel. It was her duty as the chief lawyer of DWD to identify a MAJOR ethics violation engaged by anybody making contracts, especially a Deputy Commissioner like Templeton and especially an easy-to-spot violation like taking a contract with a company from whom he was still receiving payments.
Not only did the Governor refuse to discuss the violation with the media (the investigation was brought forth by the United States Department of Labor's Inspector General's office), he also promoted Teresa to Commissioner without a second thought (and trust me, she had other issues besides ignoring an ethics violation that he ignored). He even kept her in her position for over a year after that report came out before he canned her to bring in his former OMB deputy. He should have made Voors "Acting Commissioner" after canning Penca and tried to find a competent, more experienced person (she was only 29 or 30 when she was made commissioner).
The reason I have been very suspicious of Mitch's holier-than-though, "he will not tolerate even the appearance of impropriety" bull stance partly stems from his complete purported ignorance of DWD's ethics violations in the past. He didn't give a damn then, so why is he giving a damn now?
I am not quite sure what to make of the last sentence of the second paragraph of our fabulously wealthy governor's statement re Miller here, but as for myself, I appreciate the police who are willing to catch men living on the down low seeking sexual gratification from strangers, in public restrooms.
I hope that his wife, mother of his children,considers getting tested for possible std. Oprah Winfrey had a great show on the consequences of this behavior.
Bradley,
Your last sentence is RIGHT ON! He cannot be anything but a hypocrite with all of this.
I have laid all the facts of ethics violations in the Gaming Commission at his feet. The NW Times uncovered and received admission of guilt by the Deputy Director of another ethics issue of complaints being hidden for over three years and the Governor just keeps looking the other way along with his AG and IG.
He has felonies and misdemeanors laid at his feet of improper activities in his State Appointed Commissions and his Directors and he gives a statement that he will not put up with the least bit of improper behavior that is absolute garbage.
He cannot call out the wealthy friends for their actions and the directors he allowed to do their deeds and because he signed the way out of line contract as a witness and personally blessed it.
Ignorance and arrogance is not bliss in the Gaming Commission and their antics for the Governor as he signed the contracts in person.
The REPUBLICAN Governor of Alabama called on the Feds to clean up his gambling mess. Governor Mitch Daniels was given the evidence two and one half years ago and his aid told the presenters he did not have time for the little people when the old money and new money the Governor's friends were putting on the table was far more important than the law and the ethical behavior all the little people are required to follow.
Mr. Miller imposed his own settlement of his life with his behavior. One can only hope he learns, lives and moves on. The mess in the IURC is another example if Indiana being one of the most corrupt states in the country.
The iceberg only shows the tip. The DWD, the Gaming Commission, the Horse Racing Commission, the IG and the AG are far more serious matters that no one wants to even scratch the surface of.
That alone being ignored by the media, the legislature and the prosecutor in Indianapolis clearly shows the collusion and ignoring gives complete complicity of the demise of the ethics, morals and lawful expectations have all been washed away into the White River.
May God help the "little" people the State of Indiana and their leaders who have duped into submission. No jobs, no morals, no promise except illegal acting basketball players paid millions, a one time football game for the elite and the places of learning like library's going dark. May there be hope someday in Indiana.
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