Oren Paris said he knew the scheme was illegal from the beginning. Now it is time to pay back the taxpayers' money squandered at Ecclesia College. |
Bryan King renews fight to get repayment of state money sent to Ecclesia College
Former state Sen. Bryan King recently filed a new suit in Washington County to force Ecclesia College to repay almost $700,000 it received in state funds as part of a bribery scheme with former legislators Micah Neal and Jon Woods.
Neal served home detention after pleading guilty. Woods is serving an 18-year sentence for his nonfiction on bribery charges.
King’s lawsuit is built on facts well known. Neal and Woods schemed to direct surplus money to Ecclesia, nominally for student housing and land for student housing, but at least some of it was spent in kickbacks by the college president, also convicted in the state, to Neal, Woods and Woods’ friend Randell Shelton, also convicted in the case. The money also was spent to buy land that was further used to raise additional money for personal benefits, the lawsuit says.