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Greeson defended by Page

By Jared Felkins
The Times-Journal

Published February 19, 2008

An apparent federal investigation into Rep. Todd Greeson’s work at Northeast Alabama Community College is “a glorious witch hunt,” Rep. Jack Page said Tuesday.

Page, D-Gadsden, is also employed by Alabama’s two-year college system at Gadsden State Community College. His district includes south DeKalb County.

“These efforts and money could be used so much better on fighting the war on meth or sex offenders,” Page said. “Instead, they choose to make a mockery of the Justice Department.”

Greeson, R-Ider, said Monday that investigators confiscated his computer hard drive and subpoenaed co-workers when they came to his office at Northeast Alabama Community College Thursday. He said Tuesday postsecondary officials actually took his hard drive.

“The two-year system seizes the hard drive and the FBI subpoenas the co-workers,” Page said. “I have a word for that. It’s called collusion. Why are they working so closely together?

“If they are after Todd’s hard drive and someone touched it between Todd and the FBI, someone could have tampered with it. They could have put anything they wanted into it.”

Page said no one in the two-year college system is safe.

“I think anybody employed by the two-year system is under scrutiny,” Page said. “Innocent until proven guilty has long since gone out the window in this case. Officials are being tried and convicted in the media.”

In 2005 Republican lawmakers threatened to censure Greeson, who had said he planned to vote with Democrats on a procedural vote that GOP members had hoped to use to block consideration of a funding bill.

Page said Greeson has likely been caught up in bi-partisan politics.

“Todd refused to march in good step with Republicans on a procedural vote and was threatened,” Page said. “Todd voted the way he felt best represented his district.

“[Gov. Bob] Riley and his henchmen have brought the worst form of Karl Rove brand of beltway politics into Alabama. That is his legacy. It feels like we are in the Alabama McCarthy era.”

Greeson is an industrial recruiter at the college and is serving his third term in the Legislature. He was one of 13 lawmakers working in the two-year college system last year when Two-year College System Chancellor Bradley Byrne announced a policy to require legislators to quit one of the two jobs by 2010.

Greeson said he has a contract with the college to work 1,960 hours a year or about 37 hours a week on average. He makes about $45,000 annually working at NACC.

“I have kept my work records updated,” Greeson said. “I have records showing I have worked.

“I try to put in extra hours to make up for the weeks I am out for the Legislature. Some people in the Legislature, I think they mingle hours while they are in Montgomery. I don’t do that. I focus on the task at hand.”

Greeson said though he is surprised about the apparent investigation, he is going about business as usual.

“It’s the only way to do things, I guess,” Greeson said while on his way to Montgomery for Tuesday’s legislative session. “As of right now, I don’t know what to expect. As far as knowing anything, I really don’t know anything.”

Jill Ellis, a spokeswoman with U.S. Attorney Alice Martin’s office in Birmingham, said Tuesday she could not confirm or deny if Greeson was being investigated.

Page said he is also concerned an investigation could be opened on his work.

“Of course I’m concerned,” Page said. “If I wasn’t I’d be extremely naïve. I have done nothing wrong, but if they want to get you, they will get you.”

Page said Greeson’s apparent investigation is unnecessary.

“As long as his president and his supervisor are pleased with what they are doing, it does not matter,” he said.

State Rep. Sue Schmitz, D-Toney, was arrested last month and has pleaded not guilty to a nine-count federal indictment charging her with mail fraud and theft. She was accused of taking $177,251 in pay from a program affiliated with Alabama’s two-year colleges yet doing virtually no work.

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