One of two Division of Motor Vehicles officials being investigated over a controversial hire is no longer with the agency.

Purnell Sowell was the supervisor of the License and Theft Bureau's Charlotte district office. DMV spokeswoman Marge Howell said all she knew was that he had left the DMV two days ago, reports Dan Kane.

Sowell, 49, would only say that he is seeking legal advice regarding his exit from the DMV. He had worked nearly 21 years for the state and had an annual salary of $71,867.

Sowell served on an interview panel that was to evaluate candidates for an emissions specialist job.

The position went to James Burgess, a former purchasing clerk at Progress Energy who was a childhood friend of bureau director John Robinson. Passed over was a State Highway Patrol mechanic, Hal Bunn, who had been teaching service station mechanics to do emissions inspections for nearly a decade.

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The man hired for a state emissions specialist job that prompted an SBI investigation into the Division of Motor Vehicles has put in his two-week notice.

James Burgess, a former purchasing clerk for Progress Energy, won the DMV job last year over a State Highway Patrol mechanic who has been training mechanics to do emissions inspections for roughly a decade, reports Dan Kane. Burgess is a childhood friend of the director who oversees the emissions program, John Robinson.

DMV spokeswoman Marge Howell said Burgess resigned today. She did not know why, and said if she did, she couldn't provide it because the state's personnel law prohibits the release of that information.

DMV Commissioner Bill Gore said earlier this morning that Burgess is an employee in good standing. Gore said he was unaware of any improper conduct on Burgess's part regarding his winning the emissions job.