ODU served in Hamilton probe

2009 Elections, Hampton Roads, Local, Politics 1 Minute
Del. Phil Hamilton (STEVE HELBER, Associated Press / February 25, 2004)

A report by WAVY brings some new information on the investigation of Republican incumbent Delegate Phil Hamilton.

Andy Fox reports that Old Dominion University, like Newport News Public Schools, has been served with with a subpoena and a search warrant by the same federal grand jury. As the result of the probe, Hamilton has hired an attorney.

The story also mentions that ODU is conducting an internal investigation on the matter and will report its findings on September 17. Fox says:

The audit will show fault with ODU’s Procurement and Human Resources departments that the Phil Hamilton’s job was not properly advertised.

While Fox reports that the Dean of ODU’s Darden College of Education, William Graves, has been reassigned, the fallout from this is far from over.

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3 thoughts on “ODU served in Hamilton probe”

  1. ODU needs to clean house on a number of fronts.

    Another issue that warrants examination is that stadium.

    Foreman Field was built with WPA money and served as Norfolk’s city stadium since the 1930s.

    Norfolk transferred the ownership of Foreman Field to ODU for one dollar. I think the agreement said that the stadium would continue to be called, Foreman Field. I don’t think that ODU got the right to rename the facility.

    Even if ODU has the right to rename the field, should not such renaming issues be handled via a competitive bid process, in accordance with our Commonwealth of Virginia procurement practices?

    A local contractor and pal of ODU’s Athletic Director, got the job to renovate Foreman Field and now that contractor has slapped his name on the stadium.

    Had the contractor BUILT a new stadium, one could argue for placing the contractor’s name on the stadium, but I know of no precedence in the world, where someone renovated an existing stadium, and then had the chutzpah to slap their own name over a long existing, well regarded previous name.

    We live in the age of unbridled egoism and this stadium re-naming stunt is on par with that sleazeball, Donald Trump.

    I would love to see just what competitive process ODU entertained before allowing foreman Field’s name to be supplanted. Virginia’s Auditors should surely examine this stadium issue while they are snooping around about the Hamilton affair.

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