DaughterGate Roils On (2nd Update)

In the wake of Heather Bresch's interview with The Associated Press and others, The Charleston Gazette focuses on her "unconventional acceptance"into West Virginia University's executive MBA program.

The program's former head "said it was not uncommon for the college to provisionally accept students into the program if they did not meet all the criteria for acceptance," the newspaper reported.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that her "explanation of her claim that she earned a graduate business degree from West Virginia University is inconsistent with changes that WVU made to her records in October to show that she earned the degree."

WDTV airs more of its interview with Bresch, in which she "answers to the accusations that her father, Governor Joe Manchin, may have influenced university officials to award her the degree."

Manchin, in turn, spoke to MetroNews in the wake of Bresch's testimony this week before a panel investigating the matter.

"I understand the public scrutiny that comes," the governor said (audio here). "It's hard when your children get pulled into something. And again, I say, you ought to give a child the benefit of the doubt and she was just so professional about how she handled it and waiting until what she considered the proper time to talk to the proper authorities before she went to the media."

AP, meanwhile, talks to Bresch's boss at Mylan Inc.

"Milan "Mike" Puskar has been linked to controversy around Bresch's 1998 executive master's business administration degree through association: He is not only her employer, but also a major benefactor of Gov. Joe Manchin and of WVU, contributing $20 million to the school in 2003," AP's Vicki Smith explains.

"I find it disheartening that a woman of Heather's integrity, character and extraordinary intellect has been attacked as she has been over the past four months," Puskar told AP. "It's particularly troublesome because, if not for Heather, it's likely we would not have an Executive MBA program at WVU."

Update: Bresch also spoke to George Hohmann at the Charleston Daily Mail (with audio), and Hoppy Kercheval on MetroNews' Talkline (yep, that's right, audio).

Update II: The Daily Athenaeum reports that "Statements by Heather Bresch are contradicted by the director of the program from which she said she earned a degree and by a newspaper that has obtained her student records." The Post-Gazette, meanwhile, follows up by quoting a former class mate who says the "Mylan executive joked about skipping entry exam for WVU program." (Thanks to the comment posted)