After a controversial seven year reign, Lawrence Small (finally) resigned yesterday from his post as the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. We've written about the controversy around Small here in the past. The largest controversy arose after a secret contract was orchestrated by Small with Showtime Networks, which gives Showtime the right of first refusal on any works, such as documentary films, that rely upon significant access to Smithsonian collections and staff. The final straw came last week after an internal audit showed that Small, a former banker, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxury goods and services such as chandelier cleaning, private jets, and pool heaters. These perks came on top of his already princely salary of $915,698/year.
According to the NY Times, "The announcement of Mr. Small’s resignation comes four days after Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, persuaded the Senate to freeze a $17 million increase in the Smithsonian’s financing, singling out what he called 'out-of-control spending.'" The NYT also writes, “What seemed to be the operating measure here is that Small was raising lots of money, so the board was prepared to turn a blind eye to questionable expenditures,” said Mr. [Rick] Cohen, who now writes for a journal on nonprofit management."
Small submitted his resignation letter over the weekend, which was immediately accepted, and will receive no severance package. Can you say fired?
Now about that Showtime deal...
Related: Embattled Smithsonian Official Resigns [NY Times]