The Municipal Employees Retirement System Board says Executive Director Bob Rust stepped down this morning, WVUE-TV reports. His resignation follows a series of investigations by the New Orleans TV station that left him under scrutiny for questionable spending at a number of Baton Rouge restaurants, among other expenditures.
The MERS board placed Rust on a 60-day administrative leave with pay earlier this month. While on leave, Rust was required to participate and assist in any ongoing investigation by the board into his spending. Rust also was told to attend a public meeting this afternoon to answer questions about the questionable expenses.
The WVUE investigative reports from earlier this year showed that Rust charged a $2,900 meal at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Baton Rouge in 2012. That included $717 on beverages. The year before, he tallied up a bill at the restaurant topping $3,000. Rust also allegedly charged a $700 training meal at Juban’s Restaurant in Baton Rouge, more than $1,000 for an actuarial education dinner at Mansur’s on the Boulevard and $1,600 at GW Fins in New Orleans.
MERS manages retirement accounts for many of the cities in this state, including Baker, Brusly, Denham Springs, Donaldsonville, Gonzales and Port Allen, among many others. As executive director, Rust was earning $215,476 a year and also had a public credit card.
