LITTLE ROCK — Outgoing Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Director Ernie Passailaigue has left the agency earlier than expected and one of his top deputies has also resigned.
Dianne Lamberth, chair of the Arkansas Lottery Commission, said at the start of a meeting of the group's personnel committee that Passailaigue moved up his resignation to become effective Monday and that vice president of gaming operations David Barden also resigned.
Passailaigue submitted his resignation last month in a letter to Lamberth. He didn't specify a reason for his departure, although it indicated he would stay on through Oct. 7 to oversee the launch of a new game, the Arkansas 50/50 raffle ticket.
In a letter which Lamberth said he received Monday, Passailaigue said he was moving up his departure "based upon the successful launch" of the new game. He wrote that he would offer assistance to the commission or interim director Julie Baldridge if needed.
"Please know I am available to answer any questions or assist in any way possible," Passailaigue wrote. "... All you need to do is call."
Barden, who was hired by Passailaigue from South Carolina, had indicated initially that he hoped to remain with the lottery after Passailaiuge's exit. In his his resignation letter - dated Sept. 30 - he expressed gratitude for his time with the agency.
"When I left South Carolina to come to Arkansas, it was my goal to help students achieve an education through lottery scholarships," he wrote. "I worked my way through college, so I well know the value of an education and how difficult it is to repay student loans."
Lamberth said both Barden and Passailaigue told her they were not leaving for other jobs and that Barden's exit is a surprise.
Passailaigue appeared before the Lottery Oversight Committee last week, telling its members he appreciated working with them and referring to his time with the lottery as a "labor of love."
His departure, however, followed a number of problems at the agency, including issues with reimbursements and late payments to the IRS that resulted in a penalty of nearly $100,000. After the meeting of the oversight committee, the lottery's internal auditor said he was forwarding to state auditors issues surrounding travel documentation for Passailaigue and Barden.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
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