Topeka ? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius affirmed her confidence Thursday in the state’s adjutant general despite a second personnel controversy.

The governor met for more than an hour Wednesday with Maj. Gen. Greg Gardner about the case of a longtime officer accused of stealing from a Guard organization.

“We had a very detailed meeting about the current situation, which frankly seems to include a series of sort of misfilings by this individual dating back to the early ’80s — long before Gen. Gardner was anywhere around,” Sebelius said.

Gardner was appointed adjutant general in February 1999 by Gov. Bill Graves and was retained by Sebelius. Previously, the general was commander of the 184th Bomb Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard at McConnell Air Force Base.

The latest case involves Maj. Rick Jellison, a 22-year veteran who had been the spokesman and community manager for the Air Guard’s Topeka-based 190th Refueling Wing.

He faces a felony charge in Shawnee County District Court, accused of stealing $4,829 belonging to the National Guard Association of Kansas, which he had served as treasurer for about two years.

Jellison, 39, who was arrested last October, said a bank error created a question of what happened to the money. He also believes a conflict with his superior officers contributed to the situation.

However, during the investigation, prosecutors found that Jellison had a 1982 felony conviction related to falsifying his time card while working at an Emporia meat-packing plant.

Jellison said he acknowledged the conviction when he first applied to be in the Kansas Army National Guard nearly 23 years ago. But when he transferred to the Air National Guard five years ago, he didn’t restate the conviction on his application or on his security clearance paperwork as required.

He described that as an oversight.

Though the criminal charge was filed in October, Sebelius said it was not until Jellison’s previous conviction and military documents came to light that the National Guard got involved.

“I think the Guard took immediate steps to sever him from the Guard, to remove him,” Sebelius said, adding that she expected Guard officials would pursue the case “as quickly as possible.”

Jellison is the second officer to be forced from his duties this month. Col. Joe Rose, former head of the Kansas National Guard’s human resources office, was fired after an internal investigation showed he had improperly backdated a promotion for himself. Rose was ordered to pay back about $5,000 in salary.

An investigator’s report also recommended that Rose not be retained as a member of the National Guard when a review panel meets in June.

“I think it’s unfortunate that these incidents are kind of falling on top each other, but they really don’t, I think, have much to do with one another,” Sebelius said.