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Ethics Commissioner Defends ''Roach'' Comment

By Associated Press

Orange Beach, AL – Some two-year college presidents who took exception to comments made by Alabama Ethics Commission Director Jim Sumner confronted him during a seminar this week, saying his remarks likening administrators to roaches were hurtful.

Sumner said last year that he believed it would be hard to find a two-year administrator who is not tainted by the ongoing investigation into corruption and nepotism within the system.

At Chancellor Bradley Byrne's request, Sumner gave a 45-minute presentation summarizing the state's ethics laws at the presidents' meeting Monday. It was the first time he addressed the group since making the comments and some presidents wanted to know whether he still believed they were tainted, or roaches, or part of a mafia.

Sumner said he's usually very careful with his comments to the media, but feels very strongly about the problems in the system.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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