A former state executive unexpectedly asked to resign by the governor last month says he had objected to the governor’s request that he continue paying the salary of a woman moving from his department to the governor’s office. Jerry Foxhoven, who gained national attention last week after The Associated Press reported on his admiration for the late rapper Tupac Shakur, says Wednesday he declined to approve paying the salary of Elizabeth Matney. She left DHS on May 17 to accept a job as Gov. Kim Reynolds’ adviser on health policy. Documents obtained by the AP from the governor’s office show a memorandum of understanding was signed on June 19, two days after Jerry Foxhoven was asked to resign. His name appears on the document but is crossed out and replaced by interim director Gerd Clabaugh, who signed it. A Reynolds’ spokesman says Foxhoven never raised such objections to her office. Foxhoven was asked to resign on June 17. He declined to specify that it was the reason for his departure but confirmed he objected to paying Matney out of DHS funds.
