COLUMBIA -- The chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee says the state Department of Transportation needs to make public details of why a former top executive with the agency left his job last year and returned this month for a high-paid temporary post.

The Greenville News reported that Keith Bishop, a former deputy director of the agency for finance and administration, left his job at the end of last year but returned as a "special assistant" on Jan. 2 at $51.90 an hour. The agency has provided some information about his temporary job in response to a state Freedom of Information Act request but has not answered questions about the post.

Bishop's Columbia attorney, Ken Lester, told the newspaper late last week that Bishop no longer works at the agency. He said he believes he was hired elsewhere but said he was unsure of the details.

"Keith Bishop was paid with public money, and whatever the circumstances of his leaving to me should be a matter of public record," said Sen. Greg Ryberg, an Aiken Republican who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee. "Let the sun shine in."

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His comments mirror those of some highway commissioners, who said not releasing facts about what Bishop was doing makes it appear the agency is trying to hide something.

"I don't think if we're going to promote trust in government, we do that by hiding things from the public," Ryberg said. "I think the public needs to know all of the information."

Pete Poore, a spokesman for the agency, said any further questions regarding Bishop's employment must be filed under the Freedom of Information Act.

Ryberg said he plans to ask the Legislative Audit Council, which is doing a review of DOT and its management, to look into Bishop's employment as it examines human resource issues.

Sen. Danny Verdin of Laurens, also a member of Ryberg's committee, said he hoped DOT executive director Elizabeth Mabry would "publicly clarify Mr. Bishop's role at DOT."

Several of the board members said they were unaware of Bishop's hiring until recently.

Bishop's new job is based at headquarters with "many duties performed off site," according to the agency's FOI response. The agency described his job title as a special assistant but does not state who Bishop was to assist.

The newspaper began asking questions about Bishop leaving the agency in November and filed a request for information this month.

Bishop was listed as a temporary employee, meaning his job was not guaranteed for any length of time and did not include benefits. Two commissioners said they were told Bishop's job was at or near completion.

"Two questions immediately come to mind," Ryberg said, "If an individual resigns, why does he want to do more work at SCDOT? And if he was unhappy enough to quit, with no employment in hand, why would DOT offer him an opportunity to continue? The chain of events simply makes no sense."

Bishop was promoted to deputy director in 2004.

As deputy director in charge of finance and administration, Bishop oversaw the agency's $1.2 billion budget, one of the biggest in state government, and management of more than 5,000 employees.