One of the Department of Corrections' deputy directors has been placed on administrative leave after allegations of misconduct surfaced from within the department.
Nicholas G. Morgan, one of director Lane McCotter's two deputy directors, was notified of the paid leave last week in a letter signed by McCotter. The letter didn't specify the allegations against Morgan but indicated that he was being investigated by an outside agency and instructed him not to contact anyone inside the department until the investigation was complete.According to several sources inside the department who asked that their names not be used, the allegations include questionable purchases and promotion practices by Morgan. The allegations are being investigated by the Department of Public Safety, but the final decision about what to do with the findings remains with McCotter.
Morgan has been involved in the Utah law enforcement community for more than three decades. Many inside the Department of Corrections consider Morgan a powerful and well-connected person and the man to go to if you want to get something done.
Contacted in Virginia, Morgan said he was stunned by both the letter and the allegations. While he said he hadn't been told what the specific charges against him are, he said he has "some idea."
"I presume these allegations have to do with the purchase of vans and hiring practices," Morgan said. He denied any wrongdoing in either area.
According to several sources, one of the allegations is that Morgan improperly authorized the purchase of two used surveillance vans. The vans cost the department $105,000 and were purchased just weeks before the fiscal year ended last month. The vans didn't go through the bidding process, but on the purchase order there is a lengthy explanation as to why.
State purchasing laws require all governmental agencies to put purchases out to bid unless there is only one company or dealer for a product. That's the explanation given in the case of the vans.
Because they are used demonstration models and immediately available, and according to Morgan had to be purchased with last year's budget money, state purchasing officials approved the direct buy from Skaggs Telecommunications Systems instead of requiring the department to go through a bidding process.
"They're used," Morgan said. "There are not a lot of vendors that put together this type of van . . . to the best of my knowledge (those who do sell these vans) didn't have demonstration models (to sell)."
Another sticking point for some departmental employees is that Morgan was approached by longtime friend and former co-worker, retired Chief Deputy Sheriff Mike Wilkinson, about buying the vans. Morgan denies his association with Wilkinson had anything to do with the purchase.
"Mike and I are very good friends, but that has nothing to do with it," he said. Morgan says he asked the division that would use the vans - field operations, which supervises more than 10,000 parolees - to go look at the vans and "see if they wanted them."
He was answered in the affirmative, and he helped secure the vans, he said. Ray Wahl, director of field operations, said the vans are used in a variety of ways, including searching for parolees who run away and those on intensive parole.
The other allegations are far more personal, and, according to the same sources, claim that Morgan ordered a reorganization of an investigative unit of the department in order to promote a woman whom he's allegedly romantically involved with.
Morgan flatly denied that.
He said the reorganizations were part of an effort to better investigate and capture walkaways from halfway houses. He and the woman in question, Morgan said, are friends of more than two decades, but nothing more.
McCotter refused to answer any specific questions until the investigation is completed, but said he "hopes it won't take too long." He did confirm Morgan's status with the department.
Morgan retired from the military and the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, where he achieved the first appointment to major in the department's history. He was a candidate for Salt Lake County sheriff in 1978.
He supervised the state's penal institutions for years but about eight months ago was asked to take over field operations, which includes investigations, supervising parolees, the department's halfway houses and a number of legislative duties.