State Public Employees Association Chief Resigns

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The former executive director of the Oklahoma Public Employees Association resigns. <br/><br/>Gary Jones says he is ultimately responsible for financial troubles endured by the association

Sunday, July 30th 2006, 12:02 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The former executive director of the Oklahoma Public Employees Association resigns.

Gary Jones says he is ultimately responsible for financial troubles endured by the association under his leadership.

Jones had been placed on administrative leave July 16th and was reinstated six days later, but his title was changed from executive director of the association to executive director of government relations.

He also was stripped of his office's financial duties.

In a statement posted yesterday on the association's Web site, Jones says he would take the blame for money problems including late payroll tax payments and lack of internal credit card controls.

Jones will continue to coordinate the association's government and political affairs and will lobby on behalf of public employees.

The association is a labor group that represents about 10-thousand current and former state employees.