INDOT official Troy Woodruff resigns, as probe ends

Troy Woodruff, the chief of staff at the Indiana Department of Transportation, announced he will step down Thursday — a day before the state's top ethics policeman is expected to publish the findings of an investigation into Woodruff's conduct.

Inspector General David Thomas has so far declined comment on the investigation he began a year and a half ago, but told The Star he plans to "publish" his findings Friday.

In a farewell email sent Wednesday to INDOT employees, Woodruff cited the investigation, praised INDOT employees and struck out at media reports about his involvement in land sales and a bridge project associated with the I-69 extension in Southern Indiana.

It wasn't clear Wednesday whether his resignation was related to the investigation, however. Woodruff had previously announced his intention to leave the agency, and INDOT spokesman Will Wingfield said Woodruff is now planning to go into business for himself.

In his farewell letter, Woodruff hinted the investigation would clear him of wrong-doing.

"I have always lived my life with no regret, but in leaving this agency I do have one and that is the fact I could no longer stay around waiting on a 2nd Internal Affairs Investigation of myself that started in October of 2012 finally come to an end," Woodruff wrote. "Believe me I wanted it to be out and one day it will be, not so much for me or my family but quite honestly for you all. I wanted to shout from the roof top that the people of this agency are owed an apology. Even as the media accused me of so many things, what they were actually implying is that this agency is corrupt. You don't deserve that."

Gov. Mike Pence ordered the investigation after The Indianapolis Star reported early last year that Woodruff did not disclose to ethics officials a land sale for the I-69 project and that he apparently intervened in a highway bridge project that benefited his relatives.

The Star's investigation uncovered six I-69 deals that paid $1.86 million to Woodruff's uncle and cousins, who then bought land from Woodruff and his family for more than market value.

In an interview with The Star in 2012, Woodruff, a former state lawmaker, said there was a "strict firewall," between him and the I-69 project, even though the freeway project ran through the INDOT district he then managed and passed through his family's land.

But The Star found that Woodruff's wife worked as an office manager for Sam Sarvis, who oversaw the I-69 project at the time.

Woodruff also appeared to order a bridge over I-69 rebuilt after complaints from Woodruff's family members. In INDOT reports obtained by The Star, a construction manager described the $770,444 project as the "Troy Woodruff Re-do."

In 2010, an inspector general investigation of Woodruff's land sale found no wrongdoing, but it did not examine the sales involving other members of his family. The report also made no mention of Woodruff's wife's position inside the I-69 office. The report did, however, clear Woodruff of nepotism after his mother was hired in the Vincennes district office her son oversaw.

Legal and ethics experts who reviewed the inspector general's report said they were troubled by Thomas' legal reasoning and the vigor of his investigation. In response, Thomas said the second investigation would be independently reviewed by an outside official to ensure there's no doubt.

Earlier this month, Woodruff appeared before the state's ethics commissioners to inform them he was seeking employment with engineering consulting firm RQAW Corp. During the past 18 months, Woodruff personally signed more than $500,000 worth of contracts with the company. He also sat on the selection committee that reviewed the company's bids.

A reluctant ethics commission approved safeguards that would allow Woodruff to discuss possible employment with engineering firms, but warned they were unlikely to waive the one-year cooling-off period because it would be an obvious conflict of interest.

The cooling off period is designed to stop state contractors from dangling lucrative jobs to influence state officials.

Even so, the ethics commission can be bypassed. That's because Indiana law allows certain supervisors to waive the cooling-off period without approval of the commission.

In Woodruff's case, that supervisor would be INDOT Commissioner Karl Browning. Wingfield told The Star Wednesday that Woodruff "is not currently seeking a post-employment waiver from Commissioner Browning."

Woodruff decided to start his own business.

In an email to The Star, Wingfield concluded: "Commissioner Browning thanks Troy for his years of service to state government, and INDOT will miss him."

Call Star reporter Ryan Sabalow at (317) 444-6179. Follow him on Twitter: @ryansabalow.