In 2005 James Polk, a psychologist, was convicted of felony election fraud in Virginia Beach. An online encyclopedia entry, which admits its liberal slant, documents an article stating that Polk committed ten counts of election fraud as the state campaigner for Ralph Nader. As a result Polk’s license was suspended.
Polk was a psychologist with the 1st Medical Group at Langley Air Force Hospital in the early 90s. During that time his privileges were restricted to require one year of supervision, the order said, for not properly documenting patient records.
In 1996 Polk ran for school board and his irregularities in the Air Force came under question. According to an article in the Virginian-Pilot:
“They said that they couldn’t understand my notes well enough for somebody else to come in and pick up where I left off,” Polk said when questioned about the investigation.
But he admitted in subsequent interviews that the investigation involved more than inadequate notes.
Polk said the issue involved, in part, the number of patients attending weight-loss sessions that he conducted at Langley.”
Other discrepancies became evident in Polks’ teaching background, according to the news article, when school officials couldn’t back up Polk’s record:
“A curriculum vitae, which Polk gave to a reporter who met with him in February, stated that he holds adjunct professorships at the College of William and Mary and California’s Fielding Institute.
A spokesperson in William and Mary’s psychology department said Polk was affiliated with the school during the 1992-93 school year, primarily as a supervisor of practicum students, but he was no longer an adjunct professor there.
When questioned about listing the William and Mary professorship as a current position, Polk indicated that he had only recently become aware that the appointment had expired.
“I found out that the adjunct professorship expired at the end of last year,” Polk said. “I thought it was still in place.”
The facts concerning the Fielding Institute are more complicated.
Ronald Giannitti, the school’s dean of psychology, said Polk was never hired by that school. “We did talk with him about the possibility of doing some training for us in the (Hampton Roads) area,” Giannitti said, “but we never contracted with him. That program is on hold.”
Polk, however, said a contract was negotiated. “I know I signed paperwork with them,” Polk insisted when asked about the discrepancy.
In August, Polk was released from probation with an unrestricted license. He complied with all terms in the order filed in 2006.
