HELENA – House Speaker Bob Bergren says it should be illegal for elected officials to reward performance bonuses to top employees when they are on the way out the door.
The issue stems from bonuses totaling $58,000 awarded by former Secretary of State Brad Johnson, a Republican, to nine former employees. His successor, Democrat Linda McCulloch, says she is going to put the bonuses on hold until she finds out if they are legal.
But Bergren, a Havre Democrat, says it should be illegal for elected officials to “raid the state’s bank account” as they leave office.
Johnson says the performance bonuses were planned before the election as an incentive for good work. He says the office deserves the bonuses, and are completely legal.