BILOXI, Miss.--Dr, Bill Walker has been fired as head of the Dept. of Marine Resources, a state agency headquartered on the coast. The embattled leader had been on administrative leave without pay following allegations of misspending and nepotism.

The Sun Herald newspaper, which covers the coast, reported the firing came Tuesday after a unanimous vote by the Commission on Marine Resources.

It has been alleged in documents detailing an audit that there were land buys by DMR that were steered toward family members of those who worked for the agency. Those buys were based on appraisals that were far over the fair market valuation.

There have also been other allegations. Late last year, when Walker was suspended, members of the Commission told media they hoped Walker would be cleared and would be back at work soon.

The audit is a joint effort by state and federal officials.