BISMARCK - The veterans officials who put Veterans Affairs Commissioner Bob Hanson on leave last week said Thursday they have been continually monitoring his work since July 2006 and took action when internal problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs office in Fargo became worse.
Dean Overby of Wahpeton, N.D., chairman of an evaluation subcommittee, and Rudy Jenson, chairman of the state Administrative Committee on Veterans Affairs, said in a prepared statement Thursday that they "found serious performance deficiencies" in late December and gave Hanson a list of goals they said have not been met.
"Problems . . . have been exacerbated, and staff morale has deteriorated," they said.
Hanson on Wednesday produced memos he said show he took action on all of the goals the committee set and doesn't know why he was put on leave. The memos also show friction between Hanson and a longtime department employee, Cathy Halgunseth, and another unidentified employee.
On Thursday, Hanson responded to the Overby-Jenson statement by noting that though the committee continues to accuse him of not taking care of problems, they "are not willing to be specific, making it impossible for me to respond."
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Overby and Jenson said the 15-member Administrative Committee will hold a special meeting to review Hanson's job and "determine Mr. Hanson's status as commissioner."
The meeting has not been scheduled.
Hanson has been veterans affairs commissioner since September 2004. In the 1980s and 1990s, he served two terms as state treasurer and one term as state tax commissioner.
Cole works for Forum Communications Co., which owns the Herald.
