12/20/2023
The letter, sent to LaGrange on Dec. 18, specifies that the subject of the investigation was Dr. John Cowell, the former administrator of AHS.
In a phone interview Tuesday, Trussler said it is important for the public to understand that this wasn't an ethics investigation.
"It's just the very narrow confines of the Conflicts of Interest Act to see if there was in any way a private interest of Dr. Cowell involved — and there was always a possibility because they renewed his contract during that period of time," she said.
"I found he didn't make the decision and there was no private interest being furthered."
In the letter sent to LaGrange, Trussler wrote that, "Although he had input on the decision, I found no evidence that Dr. Cowell directed the termination of Dr. Hinshaw's employment. The evidence showed that Dr. Hinshaw's employment was terminated through proper process [sic]."
