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Federal Investigators Look for State Education Department Emails

Chion Wolf
/
WNPR
FUSE founder and former CEO Michael Sharpe. Last month, Sharpe admitted that he had a criminal record, and had served time in prison. He also falsely claimed to have a doctorate in education.
Credit Facebook
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Facebook
Former FUSE CEO Michael Sharpe stepped down last month after his falsified background was revealed.

As federal investigators continue their probe of a troubled Hartford charter school group, agents are now seeking to obtain all department correspondence, including Commissioner Stefan Pryor's emails that relate to FUSE, Jumoke, Michael Sharpe or Hartford's Milner School.

The Hartford Courant reports the FBI is looking into operations of the Family Urban Schools of Excellence (FUSE) and Jumoke Academy Charter school group.

FUSE's CEO Michael Sharpe resigned recently after revelations surfaced that academic credentials he had claimed in school materials, biographies and legislative testimony were untrue. Sharpe has a criminal record and served two prison terms.

Now it's come out that the former charter school leader, who was living in one of Jumoke?'s buildings, regularly missed rent payments?.

Federal authorities are investigating how millions of dollars in public funding was disbursed to the charter group. Connecticut'?s State Department of Education was served with a federal grand jury subpoena last week, seeking  emails of Commissioner Pryor dating back to 2012.

Diane Orson is a special correspondent with Connecticut Public. She is a longtime reporter and contributor to National Public Radio. Her stories have been heard on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition and Here And Now. Diane spent seven years as CT Public Radio's local host for Morning Edition.

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