Back in October we posted a detailed story about a incredible mess at the Arkansas Military Department ("AMD") caused by their questionable hiring of Carla Daniels.
Readers will recall that we pointed out problems that existed in the process that selected Daniels from a pool of applicants to be interviewed.
Documents obtained from confidential inside sources and Freedom of Information requests clearly indicate that a job panel did not rank Daniels in the top ten, but somehow she was included in the final list in spite of her ranking.
We will tell you how this was accomplished and the results of our in depth investigation will amaze and astound you.
A confidential source inside the ARM
has told us that the investigation was micromanaged by high ranking
officials and the investigator was not given much authority to obtain
essential documents. From reading the report that is more than apparently clear.
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| COL. JOHN PAYNE (CENTER) WAS THE INVESTIGATING OFFICER |
Let's review the scope of the AMD internal investigation.
The AMD internal investigation determined that procedures were followed that were in place at the time (WRONG) and they to were unable to determine exactly who the individuals were that were on that job panel (BULLSHIT). They also determined it was not possible to determine if Carla Daniel's was improperly ranked to be included in the top 10 "best qualified individuals' (TOTAL BULLSHIT).
Lets start with that 3 person panel.
The job panel in November 2014 was comprised of Kevin Murphy from the Department of Community Correction, Robert Hallmark from the Office of Child Support Enforcement and Cozetta Jones from the Arkansas State Employees Association.
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| KEVIN MURPHY (L), COZETTA JONES (C) AND ROBERT HALLMARK (R) |
How did we find out the names when the AMD could not? Well, we simply looked at the signatures and could make out the names and we obtained a copy of an email sent to each of them about their participation on the job panel.
The job panel members were selected by Karen Norris.
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| KAREN NICOLE (CARTER) NORRIS |
This was confirmed in this memo from Leah Brewer to Marvin Barham.
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| LEAH BREWER (L) & MARVIN BARHAM (R) |
Jones participation on the job panel was a violation of state hiring policy of which the AMD was required to follow. Jones, at the time worked for the Arkansas State Employees Association, a non-governmental, lobbyist organization and had no business being involved in the selection/hiring process of a state employee. The panel members were supposed to be state employees of an equal or higher pay grade/rank that the position that they were reviewing applications.
Why was Jones included? We'll get to that a bit later.
The hire packet for the for the Fiscal Division Manger mysteriously disappeared. When you read this you will have a good idea who got rid of it and why.
In paragraph #3 (see photo above), the report states that the job panel did not use a score sheet to rank the applicants for the position to be interviewed. That is bullshit as well. One would have to interview the job panel members to confirm that and the AMD admitted that they had no idea who was on that job panel. This is very telling about the investigation; they did not want to find the truth, they wanted to contain damage.
Besides, someone from inside the AMD leaked the hand written documents that ranked applicants so that the top 10 could be interviewed. This was covered in several TV news stories and on this blog. Let's look at those handwritten documents again.
As you can clearly see, Daniels was not in the top ten. Heck she even tied for 12th place on the list of 19 applications reviewed by the panel in November 2014.
These documents prove that either Brewer lied in the internal investigation or that she has selective amnesia.
A statement from panel member Cozetta Jones gives us a pretty good idea that Brewer was not telling the truth, or is so far out of the loop that any information from her is unreliable at best.
It is our opinion that the person that penned these documents and tallied the scores is Robert Hallmark. Hallmark is a Certified Public Accountant and his position with OCSE is that of Agency Controller.
We compared the handwriting and found enough similarities in Hallmark's signature and the handwriting on the panel documents to conclude that it is his handwriting. And when you add in the fact that as a CPA and Agency Controller, adding the scores in his head was a piece of cake. Jones statement about the scores being tallied by someone (other that herself) cinches the deal.
Now that we have settled that, lets move right on to that form that Jones also mentions in her statement.
Now that we have settled that, lets move right on to that form that Jones also mentions in her statement.
Jones clearly states that someone took the tally sheets from the job panel and placed names on the form for the panel members to sign.
We believe that person was none other than Karen Norris. We compared Norris handwriting on the Federal Civil Rights lawsuit she filed against Daniels as well as other available documents to the handwriting on the form and they are a match.
Why did Norris add Daniels to the list when she was not in the running for the position according to the panel? We are about to tell you and boy is it a doozy!
Back in 1996, Karen Norris, then Karen Carter was arrested, charged and convicted of with theft of property in Little Rock Municipal Court (now known as District Court).
We believe that person was none other than Karen Norris. We compared Norris handwriting on the Federal Civil Rights lawsuit she filed against Daniels as well as other available documents to the handwriting on the form and they are a match.
Why did Norris add Daniels to the list when she was not in the running for the position according to the panel? We are about to tell you and boy is it a doozy!
Back in 1996, Karen Norris, then Karen Carter was arrested, charged and convicted of with theft of property in Little Rock Municipal Court (now known as District Court).
As a part of her sentencing, Karen was ordered to attend a theft seminar at Mid-South Safety Council, Inc.
At this same time Carla Daniels worked at Little Rock Municipal Court as a Probation Officer (remember she was fired from that position due in part to outburst of temper- see previous post from October). We believe that Carla met Karen at this time and struck up a friendship.
Alas, Karen failed to follow the terms of her probation by showing up at required monthly appointments with her probation officer and failing to perform the required community service hours. So they filed a petition to revoke her probation. Karen was on her way to serve time for the theft of property conviction.
Karen later tried to have her criminal record sealed, but Judge Alice Lightle denied Karen's petition to seal.
Karen later tried to have her criminal record sealed, but Judge Alice Lightle denied Karen's petition to seal.
This information is important to this story not only because it is the connection between Karen Carter-Norris and Carla Daniels, but because it shows a pattern of behavior indicative of Karen's character or lack thereof.
Then in 2004 Karen and Carla crossed paths again. This time at the Arkansas Department of Correction ("ADC"). Karen worked for Carla as a personnel assistant. Until she tested positive for drugs.
After Karen was fired from the ADC she applied for a job at the AMD. After all the state will hire anybody. Naughty Karen did not list on her application or on her resume that she had been hired and fired by ADC because she failed that drug test. Her resume did not list her employment at Montgomery Ward back when she was charged with theft of property for selling a friend merchandise for a dollar and change that actually cost over hundred dollars.
Look how Karen claimed she left jobs due to promotions! It's not a promotion when you apply for another job at at different employer then accept the new job. Another tell about the lack of Karen's character.
Karen was hired and stayed with the AMD until she resigned in 2005 to go to work for the Office of Child Support Enforcement ("OCSE").
Karen purportedly worked at the OCSE from July of 2005 until October 2006 when she returned to another position at the AMD. We say purportedly because there are several documents that have conflicting starting dates for the job at OCSE.
On her second application for employment with the AMD in 2006 listed a previous employer (NLRSD) on the application that she did not list on her first application in 2004. No it was not the ADC job; she did not list it on this application either.
Once again Naughty Karen hid her hiring and firing by ADC for testing positive for drugs and she listed a job as a NLR public school substitute teacher in 2004 that she failed to include on her first application to AMD back on 2004. Karen also listed her husband, Joseph Norris, as a reference even though she was instructed to not use anyone related to her as a reference.
Then in 2006 Karen applied for another position in the AMD. Once again Naughty Karen did not list her hiring & firing by the ADC for flunking that drug test not her employment at Montgomery Ward where she was involved in that theft conviction. Here again the Karen/Carla connection resurfaced as Karen used Carla as a reference.
The position Karen applied for and got was in the DSR section.
This brings us back to the hiring scandal involving Carla for the Fiscal Division Manager in the DSR (Director of State Resources).
Karen used individuals to stack the job panel that both she and Carla were connected to from previous jobs.
When Carla worked for ADC (and Karen as well), Kevin Murphy also worked there and in the same Department - Human Resources. Murphy was the head of HR and no doubt he knew Daniels and more than likely they attended the same meetings about human resources matters on more than one occasion.
The job panel frustrated Karen and Carla's plans to easily secure the position for Carla, so that's why Karen added Carla to the list even though the job panel did not rank her application high enough to be in the running for the position.
Carla Daniels ranking should have eliminated her from consideration. That was the function of the job panel, to see that the most qualified, able individuals are interviewed for the open position. Her sketchy and illegal placement on the list prevented a more qualified individual from having the opportunity to interview for the position. That is actionable, and that individual that was bumped could sue the Military Department and certain employees and would probably win.
Then in 2004 Karen and Carla crossed paths again. This time at the Arkansas Department of Correction ("ADC"). Karen worked for Carla as a personnel assistant. Until she tested positive for drugs.
After Karen was fired from the ADC she applied for a job at the AMD. After all the state will hire anybody. Naughty Karen did not list on her application or on her resume that she had been hired and fired by ADC because she failed that drug test. Her resume did not list her employment at Montgomery Ward back when she was charged with theft of property for selling a friend merchandise for a dollar and change that actually cost over hundred dollars.
Look how Karen claimed she left jobs due to promotions! It's not a promotion when you apply for another job at at different employer then accept the new job. Another tell about the lack of Karen's character.
Karen was hired and stayed with the AMD until she resigned in 2005 to go to work for the Office of Child Support Enforcement ("OCSE").
Karen purportedly worked at the OCSE from July of 2005 until October 2006 when she returned to another position at the AMD. We say purportedly because there are several documents that have conflicting starting dates for the job at OCSE.
On her second application for employment with the AMD in 2006 listed a previous employer (NLRSD) on the application that she did not list on her first application in 2004. No it was not the ADC job; she did not list it on this application either.
Then in 2006 Karen applied for another position in the AMD. Once again Naughty Karen did not list her hiring & firing by the ADC for flunking that drug test not her employment at Montgomery Ward where she was involved in that theft conviction. Here again the Karen/Carla connection resurfaced as Karen used Carla as a reference.
The position Karen applied for and got was in the DSR section.
This brings us back to the hiring scandal involving Carla for the Fiscal Division Manager in the DSR (Director of State Resources).
Karen used individuals to stack the job panel that both she and Carla were connected to from previous jobs.
When Carla worked for ADC (and Karen as well), Kevin Murphy also worked there and in the same Department - Human Resources. Murphy was the head of HR and no doubt he knew Daniels and more than likely they attended the same meetings about human resources matters on more than one occasion.
When Karen worked at OCSE she was in the same section that Robert Hallmark was in charge of. No doubt they crossed paths in the year that she was there.
Karen was connected to ASEA employee Cozetta Jones, the highly questionable non-state employee that was on the panel that reviewed applications. Jones stated that she knew Karen via the ASEA.
Carla Daniels ranking should have eliminated her from consideration. That was the function of the job panel, to see that the most qualified, able individuals are interviewed for the open position. Her sketchy and illegal placement on the list prevented a more qualified individual from having the opportunity to interview for the position. That is actionable, and that individual that was bumped could sue the Military Department and certain employees and would probably win.
*End of Part One*
