DOT reprimands chief; chair quits over harassment charge

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UPDATED: 9:16 p.m. April 21, 2008
DOT board dealing with 'never-ending nightmare'
Panel reprimands transportation chief, loses acting chairman.

By ARIEL HART
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/20/08

It was verging on "a never-ending nightmare," said one member of the state Department of Transportation board: Just as the board let DOT Commissioner Gena Abraham keep her job with a reprimand, another bombshell broke, leaving the board without a chairman for the second time in days.

Abraham's future was in question because of a personal relationship with board Chairman Mike Evans, who resigned last week because that violates DOT policy.

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Garland Pinholster, who took over as board chairman from Evans on Thursday, himself resigned as news circulated that Pinholster is the subject of a workplace sexual harassment complaint.

Pinholster, who kept his seat as board member, said he stepped down as chairman to avoid further disruption to the board's leadership since he would only serve two more meetings before the board elected a new chairman. He did not respond to a phone message on the matter.

Traditionally, as vice chairman Pinholster would have been elected the next chairman.

Pinholster participated in Monday's meeting by phone, but board member Bill Kuhlke presided as the board spent hours in closed-door meetings debating Abraham's future at the department.

Kuhlke said he understood that a sexual harassment complaint had been filed against Pinholster but does not know why Pinholster stepped down. Kuhlke said he thinks it was for health reasons.

The board gave Abraham a written reprimand because she waited weeks to tell them of her romantic relationship with Evans.

Abraham called a news conference late Monday and said she is grateful to the board for its "continued confidence" and respects its authority, but that she doesn't think she could have done anything differently.

Asked whether she regrets what happened, she said "absolutely not." She refused to say whether she thought the board was wrong to reprimand her.

Sources familiar with events at the board meeting Wednesday and Thursday say Abraham was prepared to announce her resignation last week, but in a high-drama moment before she stepped into the public meeting, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle came over to DOT, slipped into a stairwell for a conversation, doors guarded by an officer from the reporters and lobbyists milling in the hallway, and persuaded her to wait.

By Friday, Gov. Sonny Perdue said Abraham was "resolved" to see reforms at DOT through. Perdue and Cagle lined up board support for her continued employment.

The decision to let Abraham stay was split. Board member Dana Lemon moved to ask for her resignation and got a second, when board member Larry Walker quickly substituted a motion to reprimand her instead. The reprimand passed, eight to three: Lemon, David Doss and Sam Wellborn.

In open session, Doss offered a motion to put Abraham on a six-month probation with a reduction in pay, as she went still and stared at him, blinking. The motion died for lack of a second.

Some board members said afterward they feel they can work with Abraham and that she has learned a lesson.

Kuhlke said he thinks the right thing happened and hopes the board can now move on.

"We cleared the air on a lot of things," Kuhlke said. "I think she'll be effective." He added that, if issues arise with DOT employees accused of similar conduct, "I think she will handle them in an appropriate manner."

Board members who hoped for her dismissal said they value Abraham's work but are concerned about a double standard sapping her credibility as an enforcer of the rules.

The issue is salient for Abraham because she was hired, according to her supporters, as a change agent to reverse a 50-year culture of dissembling about projects and to introduce transparency, efficiency and strict adherence to policy.

Lemon said after the vote, "I strongly feel like the board and the department have to operate with integrity, credibility, consistency, transparency, and the 5,700 employees of this department and every citizen in the state of Georgia deserve no less than that." Asked whether that had happened Monday, she said, "I don't think so."

Doss concurred, adding that the longer Abraham stays in office the longer the cloud of media attention will stay over the department.

Brand-new member Johnny Floyd said his vote to let her stay will help "alleviate the cloud that's over this department."

Like other board members, Doss said he will wait to comment on the complaint against Pinholster until after an investigation is conducted.

"It is almost a never-ending nightmare," he said, though. "I'm afraid to get up in the morning."

Abraham has maintained a steady silence throughout the events.

But Evans said last week that, after broaching the subject of a relationship between themselves, he and Abraham waited weeks to notify then-Vice Chairman Pinholster. The pair waited two more weeks to alert the full board at its two-day monthly meeting last week. Even then, they did so in a closed session called not by Evans but by Lemon.

Evans said he had intended to bring the matter up the next day. Evans has refused to say when the relationship actually got romantic, saying that is personal.

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Comments

By thetruth

Apr 24, 2008 9:23 PM | Link to this

For those of you who equate this to the clinton/lewinsky scandal, keep in mind, ms. lewinsky gained no political favor, unlike ms. abrahams. Had ms. lewinsky been handed, say, the white house media job (which pays a palty $150,000) there would have been an uproar. Yet, with ms. abrahams being awarded a 300k job, we're supposed to look away based on precedent. I don't get it. It was wrong with the president and it sure as hell is wrong with our state officials who did far worse.

By Careful Next Time

Apr 24, 2008 1:50 AM | Link to this

I thought Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle was a man with higher moral standards than he displayed while begging the Commissioner to not submit her resignation. Now, I see that I underestimated his morals.

He received my vote for Lt. Governor, and he gave me reasons to definitely not vote for him again. He had a chance to show some moral convictions, but chose to do the wishes of the Governor on this one. No class and no moral convictions.

By zell

Apr 23, 2008 6:07 PM | Link to this

no one & I mean NO one @ DOT will ever believe anything that comes from her from now until the end of time.I need to stop thinking about this because it makes me physicaly ill to dwell on it. What makes the goose better than the gander? What happened to "no tolerance"? It now appears that the cat is out of the bag & is going to quite hard to get back in there

By April

Apr 22, 2008 8:57 PM | Link to this

The Emperor has no clothes.

By Robert Osborne

Apr 22, 2008 8:55 PM | Link to this

For your viewing pleasure, Georgia Gov�t Productions has released a live-action thriller, combining two horror classics into one real sicko:

Bride of Dumb Frankenstein!

Created, Directed, Produced, and Starring Sonny Perdue as Dr. Victim Frankenstein, land baron, horse doctor, and poor judge of character.

With Gena Abraham as The Monster.
and Kevin Clark as Igor, the night-school lawyer.

Special Guest appearance by Mike Evans, an up-and-Cumming peasant developer who has loved The Monster. (But, then again, who hasn�t?)

Stay tuned!

By john

Apr 22, 2008 8:28 PM | Link to this

DOT employees, join the GSFIC and GBA employees that had to deal with the unethical behavior and gross favoritism showed by your commissioner. You can have her and her overpaid know nothing cronies. We sure miss them all :-)

By Gideon Army

Apr 22, 2008 6:58 PM | Link to this

I think with some investigating we might find the truth to some of this if not all. Mike Evans former live in / mate / girlfriend of a few years could probably enlighten us on a more accurate time frame on their relationship. I'm sure it would include the time frame of when his vote was cast. Let's talk ethics. Mike Evans vote was not ethical because it was conflict of interest. It does not matter if Mike Evans and Gena Abraham broke GDOT policy for one day or 6 months. Gena has done some good things for the department. Her transparent GDOT had a tarnished image and with every waking minute with "here's another who broke policy and it will not be tolerated" has de-rated the GDOT to the public more than it has been. She has tainted the image of GDOT further because of double standards. It's like a preacher in a church who preaches hell, fire, and brimstone for sin and then commits the sin himself. His respect is lost by the congregation and is no longer effective. A proven leader is effective and "the sheep will follow". In this matter, not many will follow, especially when politics has been involved by Gov. Sonny Perdue and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle who insistently urged others to keep her after she broke GDOT policy. Furthermore, she admitted no guilt, remorse, nor any regret of wrong doing. Support for her has been lost. Respect for the GDOT Board has been lost. Respect for our Governor and Lt. Governor has been lost. What actions should take place. Is a written reprimand an acceptable adverse action? I look for GDOT policy to change somewhat and look for her to be more brassy than ever. She owe's the entire GDOT an apology, not for liking Mike, but for breaking policy and ARIEL HART I HOPE YOU SEE THIS OF THE AJC, not telling the truth for how long you two have been involved! GDOT may have "money" problems but that's not a bother for her personal staff. Bring them on! Let's dump the Deputy commissioner with no duties and let her personal staff take it all on. By the way.... The good ole boy system that would not be accepted to hire anyone we knew and trusted would no longer be tolerated, what did Gena do? She did the exact thing she said not do. The problem with a leader like this is "do as I say, not as I do." What positive things can be accomplished with this new enlightenment? Only our Governor and his assistent the the tainted GDOT board can answer. I'm sure it will be politics as usual with the end result hurting those employees of the GDOT. I hope I am wrong.

By Girl Gone Wild

Apr 22, 2008 6:30 PM | Link to this

It's now becoming obvious how Gena has made it to the top in all her numerous State appointments. Makes you wonder what she has on Sonny P??

Mike, like Sonny, you fell for it too, enjoy it while you're relevant to her "career".

By office space

Apr 22, 2008 5:54 PM | Link to this

Dang Folks give it a rest already!It's SPRING! I'm just glad to hear there's still Love stories going on out there in spite of all the mud everyone wants to roll in. BRAVO to the Lovers, everyone that doesn't like that can go back and play in the mud. Go On SCOOT!

By Jesta

Apr 22, 2008 5:43 PM | Link to this

Dont get it?

Let me explain. Ethical conduct was formerly believed to be this Comissioners way to the top. Apparently it wasnt. She bashed the Department in the paper, radio and TV. Very hard to swallow and live with in each employees community. She have involved herself in matters of personnel in her first couple of months more than any Commissioner has that I can remember in the last 10+ years combined. She has fired several, reprimanded some for things said in an overheard PRIVATE conversation and so on. There is an air of dicatorship on line with that of Sadaam. If you say any personal opinion that could be thought of as out of line by the head of this administration you will get the axe. ll this preaching of ethics and telling employees that no matter how many years of service you have, if you get out of line you will not be able to retire, you will be fired. Now she gets caught violating Dept. policy by her own account for a month...which by the way nobody believes...she doesnt even abide by her very own policy. She should walk the walk...not just talk the talk. Walk on Gena....

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