Fire Critic An Unadulterated View of the Fire Service
Sharon Harper, LA. County’s number two highest ranking employee has been demoted. The demotion was punishment or hiring practices related to her son- in-law, Ed’Ward Rhone. Harper will retain her previous position in the Sheriff’s office.
Not only did Harper get Rhone hired, she actually created a job just for him. However, instead of just hiring him into the position, Harper first hired Rhone into a different job making more money then laterally transferred him to the brand new position in the FD.
Rhone has really made bank on the deal though. He is getting paid almost $1,000 more per month because of the slight of hand by Harper. He will get to keep it unless they find wrong-doing on his part.
The audit by county Auditor-Controller Wendy Watanabe concluded that Harper had a “clear conflict of interest” when she helped to create a position in the Los Angeles County Fire Department for Ed’Ward Rhone without submitting documents to supervisors showing that the job was needed.
The report also found that Harper helped to arrange Rhone’s hiring into a more demanding job at the Department of Health Services, where he reported to work for only a few hours before a “lateral transfer” to a Fire Department position that should have paid $995 less a month. The extra pay represented 25% of his paycheck. Read the entire article
I am sure the guys aren’t making light of their “handsomely paid” firefighter.
