Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2008 > November > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USDOT board meeting will address ‘blue’ e-mails sent by Gena Evans
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The state Transportation Board has planned a closed-door session next week, Nov. 13, to discuss Gena Evans, the Department of Transportation commissioner.
According to my AJC colleague Ariel Hart, one of the specific topics will be “blue” e-mails sent by Evans several years ago to a boyfriend, via state computers. Details of the off-color communications have been aired by one local TV station, WSB. And WAGA (Fox5) has advertised a broader story tonight.
The coverage has made to DOT board “terribly uncomfortable,” board Chairman Bill Kuhlke said after the WSB story aired last week.
Now, he says, “I think there’s a witch hunt going on.” Evans wasn’t at DOT when the emails were sent, but the board will be talking about them anyway. Kuhlke also said he supported Evans.
The DOT chair said discussion items may include “what sort of directions we might be able to give Gena, reactions to board members themselves” and “any disciplinary action we need to take.”
According to WSB-TV, the e-mails were written by Evans when she was unmarried, had a last name of Abraham, and headed another state agency. A handful of older communications between her and a boyfriend in 2003 used coarse sexual language.
Kuhlke said last week he also expected board members may bring up the new budget rules Evans has instituted, backed by the state auditor.
The accounting changes pushed DOT’s books into a large deficit, announced at press conferences by Gov. Sonny Perdue and Evans. Transportation work has slowed to a trickle. Kuhlke said he agreed with the budget changes, but added, “It’s been sort of chaotic since she came on board.”
When Evans sent the blue emails in 2003, the Georgia Technology Authority had a policy against “creation, accessing or transmitting sexually explicit, obscene or pornographic material,” or “material that could be considered…offensive,” according to GTA. Issued in 2002, the GTA policy said it applied to “All agencies of the state of Georgia.”
Evans said she violated no policy because the agency she headed then, the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission, didn’t adopt any e-mail policy on its own. As the first story was airing last week she said in an interview with the AJC, “I’m going to stay and fight.”
The pot has apparently been stirred by the indefatigable open records activist George Anderson, of Rome. On Oct. 1, Anderson sent a letter to the board members about the e-mails.
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Comments
By Kneel and Bob
November 3, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this
Blue E-mails? Does Gena Evans have an older sister 4 me?
By Grandpa
November 3, 2008 5:11 PM | Link to this
Blue Emails? We didn’t have hi tech methods of talking dirty to our sweetheart when I was young. No sir, we had to rely on the Porny Express. With real donkeys. That’s the way it was and we liked it!
By American Woker
November 3, 2008 5:54 PM | Link to this
Geez…most of our government is obsenely corrupt and we have to read abput “blue” e-mails from 5 yrs ago?
By JacketFan
November 3, 2008 6:00 PM | Link to this
This is amazing. I guess the board has a duty to respond. But man, let’s focus on competent leadership rather than talking about a personal email from 5 years ago. Wow.
Need to focus on finding out the DOT hid millions in deflicts until now. Need to bring costs in line with revenue. Basic business 101!
By Dr. Craig Spinks/Augusta
November 3, 2008 6:22 PM | Link to this
Could it be that the “end-to-‘business-as-usual’” approach Dr. Evans and Mr. Kuhlke have brought to GDOT is rubbing some of “the good ole boys” from the old Georgia Highway Department the wrong way?
By Dee
November 3, 2008 7:16 PM | Link to this
If she’s going to dish it out……she needs to be prepared to take it! Seems like she wants GDOT employees to “do as I say….not as I do”!
By tom
November 3, 2008 8:57 PM | Link to this
I only care whether she was getting her job done, not whether she sent a few personal e-mails. If she was getting the work done, then shut up. If she was not getting the work done, then let’s talk about that, not the e-mails.
By Kaye
November 3, 2008 10:08 PM | Link to this
The broader issue is one of leadership and character. Government employees and particularly leaders have an obligation to avoid any appearance of wrongdoing. And these are not, “Honey, I’ll meet you at the soccer field,” emails. They’re a totally inappropriate use of government email.
By Emily
November 3, 2008 10:45 PM | Link to this
People, this is like the child who gets really good grades in school but whose conduct is about to get them expelled. The Gov and Kuhlke need to quit blaming everyone else’s child for the problem and look at their verrrrrry naughty girl. Gena is smart. No doubt about that point. However, she completely lacks the character and integrity to lead. Her hypocrisy in sending the the memo to staff dated March 2008 knowing this was in her background is astounding. Is there no one in the US that lead that department and keep their pants up at work? behave professionally and appropriately? So, good ole boys are after her? She and she alone gave them the amunition to fire her in the court of public opinion. Mr. Kuhlke should be embarassed at his lack of leadership. “Witch hunt”? Mr. Kuhkle, she broke the rules!!!! she violated policies!!!!! She had affair accordiing to the story tonight on FOX with her former intern, then she had one with her boss, now husband. What can you people not see is wrong here? It is character, ethics, morality, professional conduct. The DOT Board is disgusting and Chairman Kuhlke leads them. How do you look at yourself with any level of self-respect?
By Anonymous
November 3, 2008 11:24 PM | Link to this
Her #@# should be fired. I wonder how she ever got any work done if she spent all of that time on her back?
By SomeGuy
November 4, 2008 2:43 AM | Link to this
Personally I would rather see any e-mails between IT director Jeff Hill and subordinate Debbie Poss, since they are obviously getting it on. Debbie never seemed like the kind of person to restrain herself, so there are probably some interesting e-mails. Let me tell you, they hold GDOT employees to the highest standards on e-mails. Upper management has nothing better to do with their time than read through employee e-mail and on very many occasions employees are reprimanded or even fired for the stupidest little things in their e-mails. My point is I hope they hold Gena Evans to the same insanely high standards as they do their regular employees.
By My Two Cents
November 4, 2008 5:13 AM | Link to this
I agree with Emily. What a disappointment to have an obviously educated woman in a top position and she does not have the integrity, moral character, or professionalism as should be required by her job title. I am sure her new husband is embarrassed by her actions as well and recently the AJC reported his goal is to run for public office! The bar for women has always been higher than for men. All is not equal in the office and a woman will find out really quick there won’t be the good ole boys there to protect her as they do one of their own. Obviously, Mrs. Evans used poor judgment in writing her questionable emails and her interpersonal office relationships. Isn’t amazing how the emails from 5 years ago surfaced at this point in time? Someone is head hunting for her and Gena Evans is going to have a hard fight to cover herself. With the current problems at the DOT Ms. Evans might find that her superiors don’t want to continue to have to justify her less than professional actions. We the taxpayers don’t want to read about someone’s sleazy conduct when we are paying for that person to do their job. Ms. Evans, perhaps you will find that your personal conduct will be the downfall of your DOT career. What a shame but other professional women can use you as an example of how personal conduct can come back to haunt you regardless of your job performance and career advancements.
By Double Standard
November 4, 2008 6:49 AM | Link to this
How come when the married Glenn Richardson has an affair with an AGL lobbyist whose legislative agenda the Speaker is pushing, it is sweep under the rug by the good old boys without even an investigation, but when an unmarried women sends some ‘blue’ e-mails to her unmarried boyfriend it is the crime of the century?
By Ariel'sBFFGena
November 4, 2008 9:26 AM | Link to this
Blue e-mails??? Richard Belcher, Ariel Hart and the AJC need to wake up from their self-induced Gena love fest and try on some real journalism for a change. Nobody would care if Gena wrote a few nasty e-mails if she wasn’t out firing employees for doing the same or less. But that’s not the real story. The real story is Gena’s continuous pattern of making incredibly poor decisions in her personal and professional life. From inappropriate relationships with her student interns, to doing the GDOT Board Chairman within 60 days of getting the job, this woman continues to use incredibly poor judgement. Now Dale Russell has shown that she has covered up criminal misconduct for one of her boy toys and was caught lying on camera in the process. GDOT Board, WAKE UP! How much more embarassment and humiliation can you take before finding the testicles to do your job. No wonder Jerry Keen wants to do away with the Board. Stop beings pawns of Sonny Perdue, stop being fearful of his threats and intimidation and do your job!
By glen
November 4, 2008 5:45 PM | Link to this
Talk about cronyism. Gena not only hired, but created positions for 6 people from her old agency - each making six figures and collectively costing the Dept. close to a million dollars in salaries and benefits.
By Kelly
November 4, 2008 6:45 PM | Link to this
Glen it wasn’t just 6 it was 21 total six figures salaries about 2.1 million Gena added to the books for fools that don’t know a thing about Transportation. She also hired her Sister in law, and Erica Davis of the Clayton County School board fame. Her biggest Cronies are Purdue and Cagle. The Good Old Boy system is changing to the Good Old Girl system. How Dale Russell showed she gave a GOVT contract to one of her lovers, thats CONFLICT OF INTEREST PEOPLE. She even lied to Dale. I think if the board knew all this info before she got the job she would have been declined. The board needs to fire her now and Kulke needs to go to. The GDOT board is supposed to represent the people NOT THE GOVERNOR. Also one of Purdues buddies Mr. Keen would like it so the Governor picks 4 board members, the lieutent governor picks 4 people and the Speaker of the house picks 4 people. To take the politics out of GDOT. Kind of hard to take the politics out when their all republicans. Gena is a embarassment to GDOT and should be fired or if she has ANY GUTS resign. Also I agree Ariel Hart has been mighty quiet, the AJC needs to change her assignment.
By Kelly
November 4, 2008 6:53 PM | Link to this
Last thing the people on here that said its just old email etc…. You didn’t see the story go to the Fox 5 website and watch the video. It might open your eyes.
By ginger
November 5, 2008 6:53 PM | Link to this
I agree with Glen, send the 6 people Gena brought with her back to where they came from to keep emplyees from being laid off or forfeiting a days pay. It doesn’t matter whether she committed these indiscretions at DOT there was still a code of ethics and as an Agency Dirctor she should have known better… no excueses! If there are no severe reprimands then the people she fired should file a class action law suit. In regards to the debt the State of Georgia has let the expensive hanger go and save the thousands of dollars on rent and utilities the old one was just fine. Sonny, if you cared about employees losing thier jobs or a day off without pay when they are already struggling to make ends meet you should re-allocate the money for your fishery back to the state to balance the budget. Your a hipocrite!
By jj
November 6, 2008 9:37 PM | Link to this
not only 21 friends but gov.sonny placed her new hubby that steped down to save face for pardue a brand new position with the state historical dept.as a cross move with a better salery$$$$$—just friends at work with your tax money
By Disbelief
November 6, 2008 10:04 PM | Link to this
What an embarrassment! Surely the GDOT Board will not allow this to continue. Witchhunt? How could anyone make such a statement with all that has happened. Certainly no one in their right mind believes that all these occurences of “appearance of impropriety” involving boyfriends & former boyfriends are coincidental & perfectly innocent. And she has created her own “good ole boy” system by creating six figure salaried positions & filling them with past cronies! DOT Board, PLEASE releive us from suffering any further embarrassment.
By yatsidog
November 11, 2008 3:00 PM | Link to this
This whole mess is an embrassment to the state. We need to clean house with leaders that break the rules/law. That’s why we’re in the mess we’re in now. Our money is being managed by everyone except us. People please let’s bring intregity back into govt. Gena made her own bed with the choices she made. It’s not a question of who else broke the rules,but are you guilty. We’ll deal with them too. R
By Cosmetic Surgery
December 11, 2008 1:19 AM | Link to this
Excellent site guys! great work!
By Liposuction
January 6, 2009 1:53 PM | Link to this
What is that guy talking about?
By kate
January 19, 2009 10:31 AM | Link to this
Okay, FIVE years ago, while Gena was at the state properties office, she had a “personal” life and made the poor judgement of using the government email to send personal albeit unsavory, emails to men she had relationships with…[as if she’s the only one,get real]. Get real, she’s the only one someone had it in for, why are then JUST NOW popping u? Gena Evans has a bigger d _k than any man on capitol hill, and if you are naive enough to believe this doesn’t happen on capitol hill, ….welll…. I’ve met Ms. Evans several times, she is one of the nicest, approachable people I’ve met [she’s a higher up in the chain than me], she is a real person with real flaws, but she is extremely intelligent, and is cleaning house at GDOT. I like her, and I don’t care if she used the email for personal use, everyone I know in my office [government] office does it….EVERYONE. Maybe they are not suggestive emails for the most part, but I’ve received some pretty nasty jokes vis a vie, EMAIL…….Anyway, she’s doing a better job than any of the slobs before her……and I say…WAY TO GO GENA…GO GET ‘EM!!!!
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