House Republicans urge IT boss to resign

A change of guard at the state's embattled info-tech department could come as soon as Thursday.

The Virginia Information Technologies Agency's oversight board is expected to meet and act on the search committee's recommendation for a permanent replacement for Lemuel C. "Lem" Stewart Jr., who was fired in June as chief information officer after attempting to withhold a $14 million payment to Northrop Grumman as punishment for spotty service.

Yesterday, House Republicans put pressure on Secretary of Technology Leonard M. "Len" Pomata, who is interim CIO, to relinquish one of his posts immediately, after an opinion by Attorney General William C. Mims that it is illegal for Pomata to hold both jobs.

But Pomata said he will continue in both roles and relinquish the CIO slot with the announcement of Stewart's successor.

"There is no question that [Gov. Timothy M. Kaine] and Secretary Pomata need to act immediately to determine in which one government role Mr. Pomata should serve and which one he should resign," House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, said in a written statement.

"Like so many, I await the decision by the secretary or governor, so Virginians can be assured that their leaders are acting in accordance with the law."

In an interview, Pomata countered, "The interim [job] is just about over, and when it's over, I'll resign as [CIO]."

Mims said Pomata could not occupy both positions because the chief information officer is hired and fired by the VITA board. And because Pomata is a member of that panel, he cannot -- without creating a conflict of interest -- have a hand in his selection as acting CIO.

The search committee of the VITA governing body, the Information Technologies Investment Board, will meet Thursday at 10 a.m. to discuss the recommended candidate. The full board then is expected to sanction a selection from a pool of candidates that includes computer chiefs for federal agencies and a giant charity.

At least one member of the VITA board is expressing reservations about installing a new CIO, particularly as the turmoil over the $2.3 billion, 10-year hiring of Northrop Grumman for computer services colors the accelerating campaigns for governor and control of the GOP-dominated House of Delegates.

"I want someone who has experience with what we've been through in the past three years," said Hiram Johnson, a Stewart ally who favors his reinstatement "because of his institutional experience, knowledge of issues."

The state's contract with Northrop Grumman is Virginia's richest-ever outsourcing deal.

The board, which selects and oversees the CIO, is made up of legislative and gubernatorial appointees. But departing governor Kaine and the Democrat who hopes to succeed him, state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds of Bath County, have said they believe the state's info-tech czar should be selected by, and report to, the governor.

In another development, Pomata outlined steps that will be taken by VITA and Northrop Grumman to deal with such contentious issues as continuing delays in a company-supervised inventory of computer hardware, software and related gear as well as greater details in billing.

The plan was contained in a letter to Auditor of Public Accounts Walter J. Kucharski, a nonvoting member of the VITA board.

Kucharski, who works for the General Assembly, said obstacles to the plan include poor communications between the agency and Northrop Grumman.

"We don't know whether it's going to work or not," Kucharski said in an interview. "On paper, it looks good. If they did what was there, it would fix some of their problems. Whether they can do it or not -- I have no idea."

Northrop Grumman spokeswoman Christy Whitman declined comment.

The company, declared by the state to be in violation of its contract because of ongoing holdups, has until the end of August to prepare a new timetable to getting the giant project back on track.