Department of Corrections Director George Lombardi confirms he will talk to the House Committee on Government Oversight and Accountability, just not today.
Department of Corrections Director George Lombardi (right) testifies to the House Appropriations Committee on Public Safety and Corrections.
The Committee was scheduled to hold a hearing today to investigate Corrections’ execution procedures, specifically how it acquires the drugs it uses for executions and how it determines when a condemned individual has exhausted all appeals.
Lombardi did speak to the House Appropriations Committee on Public Safety and Corrections. After that hearing he told Missourinet the reasons he would not testify to the Oversight committee today are that issues related to the drug, pentobarbital, are the subject of ongoing litigation, and because an execution is scheduled for next week, that of Herbert Smulls.
Lombardi confirmed that he will testify before the Oversight Committee at a later date.
See our earlier story on Director Lombardi not testifying to the Oversight Committee TuesdayÂ
The chairwoman of the appropriations committee, Marsha Haefner (R-St. Louis), did ask Lombardi about the execution issues being the subject of controversy, and whether the outcome of litigation could impact the Corrections Department budget.
He told the Committee that due to litigation, “There’s not hardly anything I can say about that right now. I will tell you that the legal defense fund handles any kind of judgement against any state agency.”
Lombardi declined to answer any questions about the execution protocol.
