Lawyer, business director leave Oklahoma Health Department

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma Health Department’s top lawyer and business planning director have left the beleaguered agency following the resignation of its commissioner and his top deputy.

The Oklahoman reports that Health Department General Counsel Donald Maisch and Business Planning Director Felesha Scanlan left the agency in the wake of Monday’s resignations of Health Commissioner Terry Cline and Senior Deputy Commissioner Julie Cox-Kain.

The Board of Health says the agency is faced with a financial loss following years of over-expenditures and fiscal mismanagement. Records indicate that authorities were alerted to possible financial problems at the agency around three years ago.

A whistleblower’s letter to then-Attorney General Scott Pruitt asked him to investigate what the letter described as “several crimes being committed at the State Department of Health.” Allegations included misappropriation of funds.