| OCR Text |
Show Investigation Continues Into Allegations Against GSENM Management The investigation continues by the Bureau of Land Management into allegations of mismanagement and cover-up made by former employee of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) Kevin Shakespeare. As a result of the ongoing investigation, former Range Lead Specialist Gregg Christensen of the Escalante office was placed on administrative administra-tive leave with full pay on Jan. 8. According to Don Banks, chief of public relations at the Utah State Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the investigation could take as long as another two months. Asked if other individuals were being investigated, Banks would only say that the investigation investi-gation was being followed up as a result of a report by the Office of the Inspector General in Washington D.C. Shakespeare was interviewed for six hours in August 2003 by Barbara Morrissey of the Denver BLM's Human Resources office at which time he said he supplied her with voluminous evidence. He said Tuesday that he had mailed copies of the same material to Utah State BLM Director Sally Wisely in Salt Lake City last week. He has also supplied the same material to the Garfield County News. Shakespeare is also alleging nepotism in the hiring of an employee at the Escalante office, but Monument Manager David Hunsaker flatly denies the allegation, saying that all employees have been hired according to BLM regulations. Hunsaker and Barb Sharrow. assistant GSENM manager who will leave soon to take a position in Denver, both say that the investigation has had a demoralizing demoral-izing effect on the monument's employees. Shakespeare says he believes that employees throughout the monument are watching carefully to see if the investigation brings about some positive changes. "Why is everyone so afraid to speak up," he asked. "Why do they feel they have to come to me to speak about the problems, instead of being able to go to their managers for solutions? Just because I have nothing more to lose?" Shakespeare, who has a lawsuit against the BLM, was terminated Sept. 20, 2002 unfairly, he claims. |
