A senior state official who resigned in October after The Bee exposed a $1.2 million questionable purchase of vehicles that sat unused for months is back to work, hired by the federal court-appointed receiver overseeing the state's troubled prison health care system.

Kathleen Webb has been hired by the Federal Receivership for Prison Health Care's office of policy, planning and evaluation. She will earn $98,760 a year in her new job, according to Luis Patino, spokesman for receiver Clark Kelso.

Until her resignation on Oct. 30, Webb was a Department of General Services deputy director who oversaw the state's vehicle fleet.

She offered to resign during a probe into the purchase of $1.2 million worth of hybrids, according to Schwarzenegger administration officials. In her old job, Webb earned $106,800.

The Bee reported on Oct. 28 that the 50 Toyota Priuses sat parked on the roof of the state garage near the Capitol for months, even as legislators slashed spending and cut state worker pay to help balance the budget. The Prius sedans were eventually converted to plug-in electric vehicles with an additional $600,000 grant, and some were put into the daily rental pool.

Kelso said that despite Webb's involvement in the controversy, he's happy to have her on his staff.

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