Some Preliminary Numbers on

the Sainfort Jacko Double Dipping Proceeds

Georgia Tech has furnished documentation confirming that the couple were paid by Tech during the months of October, November, December, and January. A monthly accounting for 2007 and 2008 was provided within eight working days of my request under the Freedom of Information Act.

My request to the University for similar information has not been complied with so far. I was sent a copy of Sainfort-Jacko offer letters and working from this I can make some estimates. If these are incorrect it is because the University declined to provide the requested information. The University did confirm, however, that Jacko and Sainfort were paid by the University during the time in question.

The offer letters indicate that the couple would be paid an annual salary that in total is $501,000. This may actually be a low ball figure, because there are certain augmentations in the offer letter and it is not clear how these might translate into salary.

So the gross “take” is: 1/3 (4 mo.) of $501,000 = $167,000.

The penalty – which the university only announced in December – was $59,000. The penalty included a payment of $25,000 for the investigation. The University claims that my request for the total cost of the investigation is privileged information and refuses to provide it. They also had to return benefits, but not salary for the period, thus leading to the total of $59,000.

Thus the net “take” is: 167K – 59K = $108,000.

This is more than many University of Minnesota faculty and staff make in a whole year.

Also, Jacko and Sainfort were given an interest free loan and several years to pay off this penalty.

Professor Zahavy, by contrast, was fired for double dipping.

I note that faculty in Religious Studies do not usually bring in large amounts of outside grant money. Put another way, some pigs are more equal than others, especially golden pigs.