Official: Procedures bypassed when state representative hired
DECATUR — The former president of Central Alabama Community College testified Wednesday that normal procedures were bypassed when state Rep. Sue Schmitz was hired to do public relations for a program to help troubled teenagers. And the business manager for the two-year college system's CITY program testified that Schmitz, on trial on federal fraud charges, did not fill out any time slips showing her hours of work for the first 10 months. Barbara Creel also said she never saw any work product produced by Schmitz.
Another CITY official, regional director and former interim state director Larry Palmer, said he "had very little understanding" of what Schmitz job was supposed to be and was concerned that if he reprimanded her it would jeopardize the program's chances of getting funds from the Legislature.
Former Central Alabama President James Cornell told jurors that he agreed to hire Schmitz for a public relations position in the CITY program after receiving a call from then two-year college Chancellor Roy Johnson. He said no one else was considered for the job and that normal procedures like interviewing numerous candidates and advertising for the position were not followed.
"Roy Johnson called and said he wanted to find a place for Mrs. Schmitz in the CITY program," Cornell said when asked by prosecutor William Athanas to describe the circumstances under which Schmitz was hired.
At one point Cornell was reminded of his testimony to the grand jury when he said he had to "hold his nose" when told to hire Schmitz.
Johnson, who has pleaded guilty to bribery, money laundering and other charges, testified earlier that he agreed to try to find a job for Schmitz at the request of House Speaker Seth Hammett and the head of the state teacher's union, Paul Hubbert. Hammett has testified that he asked Johnson to try to find a job for Schmitz and asked the chairman of the education budget committee to put funding for her position in the budget.
Cornell took the stand Wednesday in Decatur. Prosecutors say Schmitz made over $177,000 in her job during three and a-half years with the program, but rarely showed up for work.
