State Auditor Mike Foley says he is concerned about the compensation package given to the outgoing president of Peru State College. When former Peru State College President Ben Johnson stepped down in August, he accepted a deferred compensation package from the Peru State College Foundation worth nearly $500,000 in private funds.
Foley says he’s concerned because Johnson never told State College System Chancellor Stan Carpenter, his boss, or the Peru State College Board of Trustees about the deal. Johnson also didn’t tells the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, which is required by state law.
State law required Johnson to annually report all sources of income over $1,000 to Accountability and Disclosure. Foley credits the State College System for bringing the issue into public view.
The package from the Peru State College Foundation will pay Johnson nearly $500,000 over the next five years. Johnson retired in August.