Carleton president Roseann Runte has been named in the investigation of an American federal bribery and extortion case involving a former colleague at Old Dominion University (ODU).

Phillip Hamilton, a former Virginia state delegate, pled not guilty to federal bribery and extortion charges last week. The indictment accuses Hamilton of arranging a $40,000 annual salary for himself from ODU in exchange for his lobbying efforts to secure public funding for a new teacher training centre at the university.

The indictment also alleges he later tried to hide the arrangement from the media when Freedom of Information Act requests were made. 

An internal audit at ODU said he emailed university administrators between August 2006 and February 2007, seeking a position as the director of a new teacher training initiative, the Center for Teacher Quality and Educational Leadership. According to the audit, there was little record of actual work performed by Hamilton.

Hamilton supposedly discussed attempts to secure state funding for the centre with several ODU administrators, including Runte, who was the president of ODU at the time, according to the audit.

Runte denies any knowledge of Hamilton being appointed director. 

“I was not aware of the hiring of Mr. Hamilton, nor any attempt to hide information,” Runte said via email.  “I learned of this from the press.”

Runte said she was “in shock and in disbelief” when she heard the allegations.

According to the audit, Runte’s calendar showed three scheduled meetings with Hamilton.

She also had eight scheduled meetings to discuss the teacher training centre with other university administrators.

Runte said her meetings with Hamilton were to seek support for an unrelated centre.  She said she attended two and the third was cancelled. 

Jennifer Mullen, ODU’s assistant vice-president (marketing and communications), said the university would not be commenting on Hamilton’s indictment.

“We, as an institution, are not commenting on this,” Mullen said. 

Hamilton’s trial is scheduled to begin May 2. 

According to the Virginia Pilot, if convicted, Hamilton could face up to 30 years in jail, and forfeit the $80,000 he received from ODU.