The resignation of Hank Asher from the Seisint board removes one obstacle to a contract with the FDLE, state officials say.
By LUCY MORGAN
Published August 30, 2003
TALLAHASSEE - A South Florida company seeking a multistate law enforcement contract announced Friday that its founder, former drug smuggler Hank Asher, has resigned from its board of directors.
Asher's resignation from the Seisint Inc. board comes after Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials questioned his background during contract negotiations with the company. Seisint, a computer technology company, hopes to win an information sharing contract with Florida and a dozen other states.
Seisint said in a written statement distributed Friday that Asher's resignation was "part of a management transition plan initiated 18 months ago."
"I am proud of our achievements," Asher said in the written statement. "The management team is talented and in control of the company. They have done a world class job in leading the company to positive cash flow and profitability. My job at Seisint is complete."
Seisint president Paul Cameron praised Asher's contributions. He made no mention of questions that have been raised about Asher in recent weeks since the St. Petersburg Times reported on Asher's drug smuggling background.
In 1987, Asher was granted immunity from prosecution after he was named an unindicted conspirator in a drug smuggling case involving the importation of cocaine valued at more than $150-million.
The FBI and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration canceled contracts in 1999 with DBT Online Inc., a company Asher previously founded, because of his past.
Asher was forced to sell his stock and leave the company, but he immediately began establishing new technology companies.
Asher and Seisint have been accused of stealing the technology that DBT developed. That technology is among the services that FDLE is attempting to buy from Seisint.
FDLE interim director Daryl McLaughlin called Asher's departure from the Seisint board "a positive development."
But he said it doesn't resolve all the issues the agency has under review.
"It's a major move in the right direction," McLaughlin said.
Two other companies have offered bids to compete with the Seisint deal, but no decision on the final contract has been made.
