State Of Vermont Investigates Vocational Rehab Provider
By Associated Press - May 4, 2004BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - Vermont's largest vocational rehabilitation provider is being investigated for sending a threatening e-mail to a smaller competitor just before the competitor was to tell a legislative committee about questionable spending practices in his industry.
Laura Collins, deputy commissioner at the state Labor and Industry Department, said she was concerned enough about the e-mail written by John Wagner of Wagner Rehabilitation Inc. that she's asked Wagner be removed from the list of speakers at an upcoming workers' compensation conference for insurance adjusters in Burlington.
"Our thought is we do not want to add fuel to the controversy by contending with that," Collins said. She said other penalties, such as the revoking of certification, are possible.
Wagner did not respond to requests for an interview.
In his March 30 e-mail to Jay Spiegel of Catamount Case Management Co., Wagner told Spiegel his reputation would be ruined if he testified before the Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee.
Spiegel was expected to repeat testimony he had given at earlier legislative hearings, where he contended that bloated marketing and inflated billing procedures had contributed to the rising cost of providing vocational rehabilitation services to injured workers.
In his e-mail, Wagner called Spiegel an "idiot" and "psychotic."
"I see where you are on the agenda tomorrow at the Senate hearing," Wagner wrote. "How does it feel to be a dead man walking." The term refers to a convict about to be executed.
"You have no business speaking about 'our' profession, when you are not in 'our' profession,'' Wagner wrote. ``You may be in 'our' field, but you are not in 'our' profession.'' He concluded the e-mail by writing ``Be careful Spiegel, don't blink, it's tough being more than a dead man walking.''
Spiegel went ahead with his Senate appearance. He described ways in which some vocational rehabilitation "vendors" wine and dine insurance adjusters in order to attract their business.
"At the department conference, marketing activities from larger companies have included a chartered evening cruise for approximately 100 people on the Spirit of Ethan Allen and open bars/hospitality suites at the Sheraton,'' Spiegel's testimony said. He did not name the firms.
Sen. James Greenwood, R-Essex/Orleans, chairman of the Senate panel where Spiegel spoke, said he would be reluctant to have Wagner testify before his committee in the future.
"I was rather shocked that someone in that position and, I assume, good at what he does, would write that kind of letter," Greenwood said.
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