>>>
>>> NEW
>>> NEW TONIGHT, STAY AWAY PAY. KARE11 INVESTIGATES HER SO MUCH
IS BEING PAID TO PUBLIC
EMPLOYEES UNPAID LEAVE.
>>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
EMPLOYEES PAY TO STAY AWAY FROM
THEIR JOBS WHILE BOSSES LOOK
INTO ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT
AND CRIMES.
AND CRIMES. >>> A.J.
>>> A.J.
>>> A.J. LAGOE STARTS US OUT WITH AN
EXAMPLE YOU MAY FIND
DISTURBING.
DISTURBING. >> Reporter: YOU AIN'T SEEN
EXCESSIVE FORCE YET.
IT IS HARD TO SEE THIS VIDEO
AND NOT SEE EXCESSIVE FORCE.
RAMSEY CORRECTIONAL OFFICER
TRAVIS MANDA WILLIE WAS CHARGED
WITH TWO COUNTS OF ASSAULT AND
EVENTUALLY PLED GUILTY TO
DISORDERLY CONDUCT FOR HIS
BEATING OF AN INMATE.
MEANWHILE TAXPAYERS PAID HIM TO
SIT AT HOME FOR TWO YEARS WHILE
ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.
MORE THAN ONE YEAR OF IT AFTER
HE PLED GUILTY.
THE PRICE TAG, $121,000 TO STAY
AWAY.
AWAY.
AWAY. >>>
AWAY. >>> IT'S RESOURCES THAT
COULD'VE GONE SOMEWHERE ELSE.
>> Reporter: ADMINISTRATIVE
LEAVE IS A NECESSARY TOOL TO
PROTECT EMPLOYEES FROM
ALLEGATIONS WITH THIS CAVEAT .
>> BUT THEY NEED TO BE DONE IN
A TIMELY MANNER.
>> Reporter: THAT DOESN'T
ALWAYS HAPPEN.
ALWAYS HAPPEN. TAKE THE CASE OF MINNEAPOLIS
POLICE OFFICER THOMAS TICKETS
PAID TO SIT AT HOME FOR 13
MONTHS WHILE AWAITING TRIAL ON
SEX ASSAULT CHARGES.
WHEN COURT RECORDS SHOW HE HAD
BEEN PHOTOGRAPHED SEXUALLY
ASSAULTING A PASSED OUT WOMAN.
CONVICTED AND KNOWN PRISON
WHILE HIS LAWYERS APPEAL, HE
RECEIVED $65,000 IN STAY AWAY
PAY.
PAY.
PAY. IN
PAY. IN APPLE VALLEY, FORMER FIRE
CHIEF LEON THOMPSON WAS PAID
75,000 IN SALARY AND BENEFITS
TO STAY AWAY FROM WORK FOR SIX
MONTHS.
MONTHS.
MONTHS. WHY ? WAIT FOR IT.
HE REPORTED HIS OWN
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT INVOLVING A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH AN EMPLOYEE.
THAT'S NOT ALL, APPLE VALLEY
TAXPAYERS FOOTED THE BILL FOR
IT.
IT.
IT. UNDER
IT. UNDER HIS SEPARATION AGREEMENT,
HE ALSO GOT TO CASH IN 70s OF
UNUSED VACATION ACCRUED WHILE
BEING PAID TO STAY HOME.
THAT IS ADDING INSULT TO INJURY
IF YOUR TAXPAYER.
JOHN HINDER ROCKERS PRESIDENT
OF THE CONSERVATIVE MINNESOTA
INK TANK CENTER.
WE SHARED HIM WHAT OUR
INVESTIGATION FOUND.
INVESTIGATION FOUND. OVER 3 1/2 YEAR PERIOD, WE
DISCOVERED ST. PAUL PAID
102,000 AND STAY AWAY PAY
COMING RAMSEY COUNTY IT WAS
897,000, HENNEPIN COUNTY
SHELLED OUT 1.2 MILLION,
MINNEAPOLIS TAXPAYERS WERE ON
THE HOOK FOR 1.5 MILLION.
THAT IS MORE THAN $3.7 MILLION
IN FOUR JURISDICTIONS ALONE FOR
EMPLOYEES TO STAY AWAY FROM
WORK FOR MEN SOMETIMES EVEN
YEARS WHILE UNDER INVESTIGATION
FOR MISCONDUCT, MALFEASANCE,
AND CRIMES.
AND CRIMES. GET THIS, THE STATE OF
MINNESOTA PAID OUT MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS IN ADMINISTRATIVE FEES,
BUT OFFICIALS DON'T EVEN TRACK
HOW MUCH IS FOR ROUTINE ISSUES
AND HOW MUCH IS GOING TO
EMPLOYEES UNDER INVESTIGATION.
IN SHORT, STATE AGENCIES HAVE
NO CLUE HOW MUCH THEY DOLED OUT
AND STAY AWAY PAY.
>> I THINK IT'S A SCANDAL.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE RIGHTLY
OUTRAGED WHEN THEY FIND OUT
THAT MANY OF THE EMPLOYEES IN
THE STATE HAVE BEEN PAID
LITERALLY TO STAY AWAY FROM
THEIR JOBS.
THEIR JOBS. OFTEN BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING
INVESTIGATED FOR REALLY SERIOUS
WRONGDOING.
WRONGDOING. >> Reporter: WE DISCOVERED SOME
PUBLIC OFFICIALS UNWILLING TO
TALK ABOUT THE TIME EMPLOYEES
ARE PAID TO STAY AWAY.
MINNEAPOLIS SCHOOL
MINNEAPOLIS SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ED GRAFT, ED
GRAFT IGNORED OUR QUESTIONS.
WE WANTED TO KNOW WHEN ATHLETIC
DIRECTOR WAS UNPAID LEAVE FOR
SIX MONTHS WHILE THE DISTRICT
DID INVESTIGATION, KARE11 FOUND
TO BE RIDDLED WITH ERRORS IN
THE END.
THE END.
THE END. WE WERE INVITED OUT INTO A
HALLWAY.
HALLWAY.
HALLWAY. AND IN THE DISTRICT'S TOP MAN
CLOSED THE DOOR AND FURTHER
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. SPIN DID HE JUST USHER US OUT?
>> Reporter: CONGRESS GOT FED
UP WITH FEDERAL AGENCIES
DROPPING OFF, BRUSHING OFF
CONCERNS OF PAID LEAVE.
SPEAKING PAID LEAVE CAUSE
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
>> Reporter: GOVERNOR CHUCK
WILSON VOWED TO CRACK DOWN ON
MANAGEMENT ABUSING PAID LEAVE
AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE.
SOME LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE
CRACKING DOWN ALSO.
SAN FRANCISCO HAS A REQUIREMENT
THAT EMPLOYEES FACING AN
INVESTIGATION CANNOT BE ON PAID
LEAVE FOR MORE THAN 60 DAYS.
IT IS A MOVE SOME SAY MINNESOTA
SHOULD CONSIDER.
SHOULD CONSIDER. >> I SAY IN SAN FRANCISCO CAN
DO IT WE CAN DO IT TOO.
>>> AND MOST THINGS IN LIFE
THERE IS NUANCE.
HE SAY THERE IS CONTRACT
MANDATE PAID LEAVE AND THERE
ARE ISSUES FOR EMPLOYEES THAT
ARE VETERANS AND WE FOUND
AGENCIES MAKE A DECISION TO
KEEP PAYING THE PROBLEM WORKER.
THAT'S WHY THEY NEED THE
UNIFORM STATE LAW TO ADDRESS
THIS ISSUE WHICH WILL BE
NECESSARY TO PROTECT TAX
DOLLARS ARE BEING WASTED.
>>> YOU FACE LITIGATION THAT
THEY STOP PAYING THEM WHILE
BEING INVESTIGATED ? IS THAT
THE PROBLEM?
THE PROBLEM? >>> THAT COULD BE PART OF THE
ISSUE.
ISSUE.
ISSUE. SAN FRANCISCO CITY AND COUNTY
HAVE A UNIFORM POLICY OF THIS
IS HOW LONG YOU CAN