Could the Head of the Department of Agriculture (DOA) Possibly Be Wrong?
Subject: Could the Head of the Department of Agriculture (DOA) Possibly Be Wrong?
Date: Sat, 8 Dec 2001 10:37:11 -0500
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of
California, Department of Pesticide Regulation
cc: Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov
Odom, auditors clash; suit filed for records
By CHRISTOPHER BAUGHMAN
Advocate staff writer
Two state officials blamed each other for a shouting match over records that led one to sue the other Tuesday.
Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle, whose office is investigating Agriculture Commissioner Bob Odom, sued Odom to get the meeting minutes of agriculture boards whose records are kept by Odom's office, the state Department of Agriculture & Forestry.
Kyle said when two of his auditors showed up at Odom's office Monday to see the records, as previously arranged, Odom blew up.
"Mr. Odom became involved, became very angry and yelled and used abusive, ugly language and threatened to have my auditors arrested," Kyle said.
Odom admits he threatened one of the auditors, Scott Carlton, with arrest.
Odom said that came only after Carlton blew his cool and started shouting.
"I just told him, 'I'll either have you arrested or escorted out,' and I just called security and had him escorted out,' " Odom said.
"I don't run to get elected to have some young kid holler at me," Odom said.
"I'm not going to stand for them not to conduct themselves properly to my employees and to me."
The issue of the records might have been resolved.
Shortly after his office filed the lawsuit, Kyle said, lawyers from both sides met with state District Judge Curtis Calloway, and Odom's office agreed to turn over the disputed records Tuesday.
Kyle emphasized his lawsuit is still open.
An East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury and federal officials have been investigating Odom for months. They've been looking into agriculture department contracts, and Odom's use of campaign funds.
The grand jury also is looking into Odom's use of his employees to help build a house for his son.
Odom contends the employees volunteered their work.
The investigators from Kyle's office were looking for the meeting minutes for the last 10 years of 21 boards whose records are kept in Odom's office.
Odom said Tuesday he objected to the records request because his office has supplied the records to the Legislative Auditor's Office every year during annual audits.
"If they got it in their files, why should the state go to the expense of providing it to them?" Odom asked.
A statement from Odom's office went further. "It is not the Department of Agriculture and Forestry's function or responsibility to cover for the legislative auditor's ineptitude and inability to keep track of records previously furnished them," it says.
Kyle said his office does get the minutes of the boards during annual audits, but his office only keeps copies of minutes that have to do with a particular audit item.
"They needed to see the original minutes for this investigation," Kyle said.
Kyle not only sued Odom on Tuesday, he also wrote a letter Monday about the incident to East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Doug Moreau and to the Louisiana State Police.
"These actions of the commissioner of agriculture and of his agents and employees have obstructed and impeded the legislative auditor in making the investigative audit examination authorized by law.
"These egregious actions of the commissioner of agriculture are without any basis in law. These actions are criminal in nature, given the physical force exercised by the commissioner," Kyle wrote.
Well, well, well..................................................To be continued..........................
Respectfully, Stephen L. TvedtenIf you would like to be included in our mailing list for continuing information on pesticides, Email Us. with "subscribe" in the subject line.