Saturday, July 9, 2011

$etting Up Special Ed at Merrimack

What do you need?

"New ethics questions arise for nonprofit; Potential conflicts found on board" July 02, 2011|By Michael Rezendes, Globe Staff

He stepped up to restore stability at a troubled nonprofit after its longtime executive director stepped down amid allegations that he used taxpayer dollars to pay extravagant salaries to himself, his girlfriend, and a handful of top staffers.

But now Gary Garmon, a longtime member of the board at the Chelmsford-based Merrimack Education Center, is facing ethical questions of his own after the state inspector general revealed that he was the co-owner of a Lowell furniture store that sold at least $9,000 in goods to the center in 2004.

Garmon's business connection is one of a growing number of potential conflicts of interest investigators are focusing on following accusations by the inspector general that the center's executive director, John B. Barranco, fleeced a separate but related public agency that educates special needs students of more than $10 million. Barranco took an unpaid leave of absence from the center this week....

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Related: Ripping Off Retards

Also see: Mass. Lobbyist Leeches State Pension and Health Benefits

But it is the teacher, cop, and firefighter bankrupting cities, towns, and states, yup.