NC DMV Commissioner Abruptly Resigns

Following allegations that the NC DMV commissioner helped a friend get legal title to a replica of a 1937 truck as an original vehicle, and a scandal following suspension of an employee for revealing the situation to the state and the public, the commissioner has suddenly resigned without a clear explanation.

Could this be an indication of a larger scandal in the making? This is the latest of a string of scandals in the NC DMV office...

News and Observer
July 19, 2007
Dan Kane, Staff Writer

Tatum steps down as DMV chief
The terse announcement of his departure follows a controversy over whether he helped a friend with a title matter

N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner George Tatum resigned Wednesday, after documents and interviews with an agency staffer suggested that Tatum helped a friend get a replica of a 1937 Ford truck titled as the real thing.

Tatum could not be reached for comment, and a state Department of Transportation spokesman would say only that the resignation involved a personnel matter.

Gov. Mike Easley, who appointed Tatum commissioner in April 2003, said in a short statement that Tatum needed to resign.

"I believe it was appropriate," Easley said.

Mark Foster, the DOT's chief financial officer, will be interim DMV commissioner.

The DMV, which issues driver's licenses and vehicle registrations and conducts safety and emissions inspections, has been long known as an agency with numerous controversies and scandals. Tatum is not the first commissioner to resign following allegations that he misused his office. Alexander Killens quit in 1996 after an audit showed he used staff as drivers and personal security. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor obstruction of justice for impeding an investigation into whether a DMV employee misused a state car. Read more...