Facts must be gathered

That's why the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources must move quickly to investigate concerns about the handling of a convention for state conservation officers.
The state's chief CO, Col. Mike Hamm, and his wife, CO Capt. Cathy Hamm, were placed on paid administrative leave this week while an outside firm investigates their handling of the North America Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association conference conducted in July in Minnesota.
At issue is the $383,000 in public money spent on the conference by the DNR's Enforcement Division, which also allowed private fundraising on state time for the conference. The Hamms were largely responsible for bringing the conference to St. Paul.
Col. Hamm ordered all 204 COs to attend the three-day training, with the state paying all travel costs, food and lodging. The state also paid for DNR employees to work at the event and gave a grant to the Minnesota Conservation Officers Association, the host group and union for most conservation officers.
And while the conference made a $76.000 profit, it was not shared with the state. That doesn’t look good when the state invested so heavily in the conference.
The Hamms will continue to receive their salaries — $105,000 and $87,000 annually — while on leave. And that doesn’t look good to Minnesota taxpayers.
The appearance of impropriety within the agency can impact the public's perception of other DNR divisions, which had nothing to do with the conference. It can also make it tough on local COs who are trying to do their job.
The conference is already under investigation by the Legislative Auditor, the DNR's two internal auditors and two legislative committees.
In an effort to allow the entire agency to do its job with out interference from misconceptions, the DNR must cooperate with those investigators who may give answers to important questions about the conference.