Louisiana State University will review payments made to Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) amid allegations that he wrongly billed the school for work he performed while a member of Congress.
{mosads}“Based on concerns that have surfaced in the news media, we will review any information we have regarding Dr. Bill Cassidy’s employment with LSU, just as we would any other employee,” a school official said in an email to The Hill.
The statement came just hours before Cassidy, a medical doctor, and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) face off in their only debate of the Louisiana Senate runoff period.
Landrieu has made the allegations the central focus of her campaign in the final days before Saturday’s election. She’s hammered Cassidy as a “fraud “ who remained on payroll as a congressman while not contributing at the school, wrongly logged hours at LSU while he was in Washington, and took advantage of his situation to maintain tenure when he didn’t meet the minimum requirements.
The House Ethics Committee approved the physician’s request to stay on with LSU as a clinical resident supervisor. Cassidy earned about $20,000 a year over about a five-year period, and additionally received medical liability compensation and costs associated with professional training.
But internal emails and time sheets obtained by some local blogs call into question whether Cassidy remained on payroll as a congressman while not contributing at the school, wrongly logged hours at LSU while he was in Washington, and took advantage of his situation to maintain tenure when he didn’t meet the minimum requirements.
The Cassidy campaign is adamant that the allegations are a last ditch effort by the Landrieu campaign to smear Cassidy because she trails badly in the polls.
The Hill interviewed Cassidy and his long-time boss at LSU, and both argued that he often worked at LSU in the mornings before flying into Washington for votes, that he oversaw the work being done by LSU residents in Washington, and that he added value to the school as the only liver specialist in the state.
“We were privileged to have Bill Cassidy,” said Cassidy’s longtime boss, Dr. George Karam. “I think we got much more than we paid for with everything he did beyond the hours he logged on the time sheet.”
Landrieu has been releasing ads highlighting the controversy and is demanding Cassidy bring his school records to the debate.
Cassidy took a leave of absence from LSU in April and hasn’t received any paychecks since then.