MELTON ACCEPTS SALARY AT MBN

- - Man Listed As Deputy Director Not On State Payroll

State narcotics director Frank Melton, who planned to forgo his $60,000
annual salary to boost the pay of his agents, is now on the state payroll.

Melton can't waive his salary but can donate his paycheck back to the
agency after mandatory deductions, based on an opinion issued Jan. 3 by
Attorney General Mike Moore.

Melton, the former chief executive officer of WLBT-Channel 3, put his name
on the payroll last week, said Hoopie Stringer, director of the state
Personnel Board.

That's not the case with former FBI agent Joe J. Jackson Jr., 59. Jackson
is listed as the agency's deputy director on a Jan. 16 memo from Robin
Layton, administrative assistant in Melton's office, a copy of which was
obtained by The Clarion-Ledger.

"He is not a state or contractual employee," Stringer said.

If Jackson, who previously worked for Melton at WLBT, is functioning as the
agency's deputy director, he apparently would be in violation of state law.

Mississippi law states "whoever falsely and willfully assumes or pretends
to be an officer or employee acting under the authority of the State of
Mississippi or any department, agency or officer thereof," can be fined up
to $500, sent to jail for six months or both.

Calls to Melton and Jackson were referred to MBN spokeswoman Dolores Lewis.
"I've been instructed to tell you they are unavailable to talk to you about
personnel issues," Lewis said Thursday.

She wouldn't confirm Jackson's position or say how he was being paid. She
said personnel issues are exempt from disclosure by state law. However,
salary and position are public. They are available in the annual budget and
from the personnel board.

All others listed in Layton's memo as members of the MBN executive staff
are on the state payroll. They are Melton; Frazial Williams, assistant
director of administration; Gale Mills, assistant director of operations;
and Dennis Wood, assistant director of special operations.

Gov. Ronnie Musgrove appointed Melton, 52, on Dec. 4. Melton must be
confirmed by the Senate. His nomination was referred to the Judiciary
Committee on Monday.

Sen. Hillman T. Frazier, D-Jackson, a committee member, said Melton's
hiring of Jackson is OK as long as he has the background to do the job and
there's no violation of state law.

"If there is a violation, we'll have to talk to the attorney general's
office about it," Frazier said.

The committee has requested a routine background check of Melton from the
Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Bennie L. Turner, D-West Point, said
Thursday, since Melton was recently reconfirmed for another term on the
State Board of Education, he expects the PEER committee won't take long in
sending over results of the background check.

Turner said he couldn't comment about the salaries for MBN's director and
deputy director because "the only thing I know about the salaries of the
director and deputy director I know from The Clarion-Ledger and other media."

It is not clear how much Jackson is being paid as deputy director.

Jackson came to know Melton after he moved to the state's capital city in
1991 to become special agent in charge of the FBI's Mississippi office. He
held the post until Sept. 30, 1993, when he retired to take a
$150,000-a-year job as chief operating officer at WLBT.

In late August 1993, Jackson had been ordered by Washington FBI officials
to investigate allegations of theft, corruption and illicit sex among staff
and juveniles at the Hinds County Youth Detention Center.

Jackson had earlier refused the request of then-Jackson Police Chief Jimmy
Wilson to help investigate the allegations - some of which involved Melton.
In an interview at the time, Melton maintained his innocence. The
allegations against Melton were not substantiated.

Days after receiving the order from Washington, Jackson announced he was
joining WLBT, saying he had sought Melton's advice about another job a
couple of months before.

Jackson left WLBT in 1996. In February 1996, Jackson incorporated TV-3 Inc.
Foundation, according to the organization's articles of incorporation filed
with the secretary of state's office. Melton is chief executive officer of
the foundation, a nonprofit organization endowing scholarships and youth
programs.