A Tuscaloosa lawmaker sent some of his legislative discretionary money to the Alabama Fire College Foundation, which later gave scholarships to his daughter.

State Rep. Bryant Melton Jr., D-Tuscaloosa, sent $85,000 of his discretionary money to the private foundation from 2000 to 2003, state finance records show.

Melton on Friday said his daughter received $60,000 to $65,000 in scholarships from the foundation at about the same time. "Yes, she was in medical school at the time," he said.

Melton works as associate dean for human resources at Shelton State Community College, earning more than $76,000 in annual salary. Shelton State is the home site of the Fire College.

Hours after he discussed the scholarships and legislative grants in a brief telephone interview with The Birmingham News, Alabama College System Chancellor Roy Johnson placed him on administrative leave with pay and directed that the matter be sent for review by the Alabama Ethics Commission.

"Our action today is the result of uncovering new information that we believe raises serious questions about possible violations of ethics standards or inappropriate use of public funds," Johnson said in a prepared statement. "Any person in the employ of the Alabama College System found to violate these standards or the public trust will be dealt with swiftly and firmly."

During his interview Friday, Melton did not discuss the details of the scholarships to his daughter or his legislative grants to the foundation, saying he wanted to collect documentation for them. "I need to verify the amounts."

When asked how he learned of the prospect of obtaining foundation scholarships for his daughter, Emily, Melton said, "I recognized there was an opportunity for us to get some funding for her schooling."

Efforts to reach Melton later Friday for more information failed. Efforts to reach Emily Melton for comment Friday also failed.

Johnson learned of the scholarships to Melton's daughter Friday, said Amanda Vaughan, Johnson's spokeswoman. Melton contacted Shelton State President Rick Rogers, and Rogers then contacted Johnson, Vaughan said.

Ethics Commission

Johnson sent Rogers a letter Friday afternoon, saying he was concerned that Melton's actions could amount to receiving personal benefit from his office, which could violate state law. Johnson told Rogers to send the matter to the Ethics Commission.

Friday's developments are the latest in a series of controversies regarding the Alabama Fire College and the private foundation. The foundation was run by W.L. Langston, who was forced to retire earlier this year as director of the Alabama Fire College.

Langston gave jobs at the fire college to Johnson's children and he gave a foundation scholarship to the daughter of Debra Dahl, the two-year college system's vice chancellor for fiscal and administrative services. Dahl's daughter attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Dahl signed a payment request in 2003 to send $300,000 to Langston's foundation, which later built him a new home. The payment was made in error, Johnson has said, and 16 months later, the money was transferred from the foundation to the fire college.

Langston also helped arrange jobs for his children in the twoyear system and helped the children of other officials.

Melton said his daughter attended medical school at UAB and is now in Wisconsin completing her residency in obstetrics and gynecology. Grants in '00, '02, '03

Melton sent three legislative grants to the fire college foundation, finance records show. Each lawmaker is given money that can be sent to schools and groups in their district.

Melton sent $15,000 to the foundation in November 2000 "to purchase computer software for Alabama Fire College students," according to his grant documentation. The grant request said it would "provide service for over 300 students."

Melton sent $40,000 in January 2002 "to provide scholarships for volunteer firefighters and to purchase additional software for the Alabama Fire College," an effort that would "benefit 450 students," according to his grant records.

He sent $30,000 in April 2003 "to provide scholarships for students in the West Alabama service area." His grant request said the money would benefit 2,000 students.

Melton said his daughter began receiving her scholarships from the foundation in late 2000 or early 2001 and she received her last payment in 2003. He said he couldn't recall the total she received, but it was between $60,000 and $65,000.

He declined to discuss the legislative grants or the scholarships further without collecting more documentation.

Melton was elected to the House in 1982 and serves on the Government Finance and Appropriations Committee.