Staff Recommends Review of Issues Involving Terminated Employee

The non-binding recommendation will be considered February 28 by the same three-member Commission panel that voted on the original recommendation.

An internal investigation found former staff engineer Doris Moss improperly used a fictitious e-mail account in an effort to contact Commissioners regarding the merits of a docketed matter involving BellSouth.  The investigation also uncovered clear and convincing evidence that Moss, using an agency computer, sent improper e-mails to BellSouth in violation of Commission rules governing communications with parties in docketed matters.

The staff’s recommendation expresses concern that the improper conduct could raise “concerns regarding the impartiality of her analyses and recommendations.” 

A possible remedy, according to staff, is to take the six issues for which concerns could be raised and assign them to staff not previously involved in the docket for a new recommendation.  This recommendation would be scheduled to go before the Commission panel as expeditiously as possible.

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