By Bill Varian, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, December 30, 2010
TAMPA — An attorney for a Hillsborough County supervisor accused of having his agency purchase books written by his wife told a review panel Thursday his client had no role in the deal.
He was given two more weeks to make his case.
The Head Start policy council executive committee also voted against firing a second manager with the prekindergarten education program accused of facilitating the alleged ethics breach.
Panel members expressed a belief that the manager's value to the program offset what they said might better be termed a lapse in judgment.
"This sounds more like a training issue," said Kevin Haney, chairman of the panel consisting largely of Head Start parents.
Hillsborough County officials have accused Michael Jimenez of overseeing the $9,000 purchase of 750 books promoting good-health practices among children that was written by his wife ...