Personal assistants have once again been hitting the headlines, so we take a behind-the-scenes look at what theyโve been up to. In the US, the former personal assistant to a member of the Dave Matthews Band has been found guilty of fraud and sentenced to 18 months โ half of which time he will serve behind bars.
Getty Andrew Rothenberg pleaded guilty back in July last year to embezzling money from Dave Matthews Bandโs violinist Boyd Tinsley. He admitted to inflating invoices and stealing extra money to use for his own personal expenses.
Apparently, prosecutors are saying that Rothenberg stole a whopping $7 million from Tinsley over the course of three years. As well as his jail time, he must also pay $1.2 million in restitution.
Another PA in trouble with the law is Cheryl Carter, the former assistant to ex-News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks. In the latest development, Carter has sworn โon the life of her childrenโ that a job offer from the Sunday Times newspaper in Perth was not a reward for helping her boss conceal evidence of phone hacking.
The trial at the Old Bailey has heard that in July 2011, shortly before the closure of the News of the World newspaper, Carter threw out 30 notebooks from boxes she had recalled from the company archives.
After the paper closed and Brooks resigned, Carter decided to emigrate to Australia. She was offered work at the Sunday Times, also owned by News Corp, the same company that published the News of the World, after Brooks put in a call to John Hartigan, then CEO of News Ltd in Australia, the court heard.
Brooks and her former PA are charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. However, Carter has told police the notebooks were hers, from her time as beauty editor.
Meanwhile, in Ireland, the personal assistant to Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has found himself in hot water after revealing he has virtually no work to do, despite being paid a generous โฌ47,000 (ยฃ39,000) salary.
Neil Ward has provoked angry responses after it emerged that he posted a picture on Twitter of his empty work email inbox with the caption: โPerhaps the best feeling in the world #nothingtodo #Fridayโ.
To add insult to injury, the Irish Independent has revealed that Ward is set for promotion to the position of special adviser to the minister, meaning heโll be in line for a pay rise of around ยฃ27,000.
And finally, we end on a positive note. A boss in Fort Wayne, Indiana has paid tribute to a lady who was his executive assistant for 30 years. Flossie Zimmerman began working with the Fort Wayne Komets ice hockey team back in 1958, before retiring 26 years ago; she died aged 86 in late January this year.
โHer dedication to the Komets, Fort Wayne Youth Hockey and McMillen Park figure skating is unsurpassed and her contributions will never be forgotten,โ said team President Michael Franke. High praise indeed โ itโs nice to know that skilled employees are appreciated and that our good deeds live on after us.
