University of Kansas AD Lew Perkins may have violated state ethics laws by accepting exercise equipment
Associated Press
June 2, 2010
Lew Perkins' acceptance of thousands of dollars of exercise equipment from a private company may create an issue for the University of Kansas athletic director under the state's ethics laws.
Those laws prohibit state employees from accepting most gifts, including loans, from others. They also say people are state employees if they receive part of their regular compensation from state funds — which appears to cover Perkins.
Carol Williams, the state Governmental Ethics Commission's executive director, wouldn't discuss Perkins' situation Wednesday and would not say whether the commission's staff was investigating it.
An employee who violates the gift law can be fined up to $5,000 for a first offense. The law also makes a violation grounds for an employee's dismissal by a supervisor.
Perkins did not attend a meeting Wednesday of Big 12 conference officials in Kansas City, Mo. University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little was in London until the weekend, meeting with alumni and other university supporters, spokesman Jack Martin said.
Steve McAllister, a Lawrence attorney representing Perkins, did not return telephone messages left by The Associated Press at his office.
But associate athletic director, Jim Marchiony, told The Associated Press that Perkins doesn't feel like he did anything wrong by accepting the equipment.
"Lew has self-reported the situation to the Kansas governmental ethics commission," Marchiony said. "He does not believe that he violated any rules, but wanted to be above-board so that any questions can be reviewed and put to rest."
