(Quick Takes) - “Where in the World is Matteo Fontana?” That’s the question posed by Higher Ed Watch, a blog of the New American Foundation, about the former general manager of the Financial Partners Division of the U.S. Department of Education student aid department, who was placed on leave last year after the blog revealed that he held stock in a loan company at the center of last year’s loan scandals — at a time he would have played a role in regulating the company. The blog noted that it had been 459 days since Fontana was placed on leave (a few more days have since passed), and asked why there had been no resolution to the investigation, after so much time, and said that the Education Department appeared to be working at a slower pace even than vacation-generous European governments. Inside Higher Ed asked the Education Department if it had an answer for the long time in analyzing the situation. Samara Yudof, a spokeswoman, answered: “Matteo Fontana is on administrative leave. As you may be aware, the U.S. Department of Justice is handling this matter. As soon as Justice’s investigation is completed, we will take appropriate action.” ... LINK to article