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Nine top prison officials fired

Six others are promoted as the state's new corrections chief tries to clean up the scandal-ridden system.

TALLAHASSEE - The warden in charge of Florida State Prison and the No. 2 official at the prison system's medical center were among nine top officials fired Wednesday by the new Corrections Department chief brought in by Gov. Jeb Bush to clean up the scandal-ridden system.

Michael Rathmann was fired as warden of Florida State Prison at Raiford, and Lamar Griffis was ousted as assistant warden at the agency's nearby Reception and Medical Center in Lake Butler. In all, two regional directors, four wardens and three assistant wardens were dismissed, Corrections Secretary James McDonough said, because they "do not have my trust and confidence."

Regional directors Al Solomon and Brad Carter, wardens Kenneth Lampp, Rick Anglin and Dave Farcas and assistant wardens Dale Hughes and Cornelius Faulk also were dismissed.

"The governor fully supports Secretary McDonough and his efforts to make professionalism and integrity a priority within the Department of Corrections," Bush spokesman Russell Schweiss said.

McDonough, meanwhile, immediately promoted six others, including former department chief Richard Dugger as director of Region II in northeast Florida. The 63-year-old Dugger headed the department under Gov. Bob Martinez in the late 1980s.

Union Correctional Institution warden Wendall Whitehurst was promoted to become director of Region I in the Panhandle, while wardens Ronnie Harris and Randall Bryant were promoted to larger prisons. Bryant replaces Rathmann at Florida State Prison. Assistant wardens John Hancock and David McCallum were promoted to warden.

McDonough, a retired Army infantry officer, said those being promoted "represent the leadership, integrity, commitment and sense of duty the Department of Corrections deserves."

The housecleaning came a day after a report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement concluded that McDonough's predecessor, James Crosby, tried to shut down an FDLE investigation into the prison system by threatening one of his employees, Brad Tunnell, whose father, Guy Tunnell, is head of the FDLE.

Crosby was forced to resign last month by Bush after he became part of a wide-ranging investigation into possible criminal activity among prison system employees. Crosby has denied any wrongdoing and has hired an attorney.

Meanwhile, the department's inspector general released a report Wednesday that included testimony from witnesses who said Griffis knew about falsified time sheets for members of prison softball teams and fake IDs for nondepartmental people who competed in softball tournaments.

Key softball players were allowed to fill out time sheets for a full eight-hour shift, even if they had spent the day practicing, according to the report. Griffis, 49, denied the charges.

There are also allegations of a steroid selling ring involving prison guards and parties at the state-owned homes for top corrections officials, who are accused of selling tickets for attendance and charging for drinks as well.

There was also a brawl at a Tallahassee armory involving agency officials.

[Last modified March 16, 2006, 02:00:27]