Ousted Agency CEO Says Takeover Unjustified

The ousted chief executive of a North Carolina regional mental health group says state officials weren't justified in taking control of agency operations earlier this week.

Richard Topping's comments came after a judge issued an order preventing him and former board members from interfering with Department of Health and Human Services workers now overseeing Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions.

The department took over Cardinal following recent state audits chronicling what they called excessive spending and severance packages. Topping told the Associated Press his agency's administrative spending was reasonable, and that critics had cherry-picked certain numbers “for political purposes.”

Topping believes the conflict between Cardinal and DHHS centers on who controls Medicaid money left over after patient treatments and efficiencies. As for the state takeover, he says it's up to Cardinal's former board to decide whether it should be challenged in court.