Ag Secretary Vilsack says he’s spoken with Sherrod ‘a number of times,’ will meet with her

Ag Secretary Vilsack says he’ll meet with Sherrod

URBANDALE, Iowa — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says he’s sure he’ll meet with ousted employee Shirley Sherrod (shuh-RAHD’) but that they’re still arranging when to get together.

Speaking Wednesday at an event in suburban Des Moines, Iowa, Vilsack expressed confidence he’d meet with Sherrod but added that details were still being worked out.

Vilsack says he’s talked with Sherrod “a number of times.”

The Agriculture Department asked Sherrod to resign last month after seeing an edited video of a speech in which she seemed to say she’d treated a white farmer unfairly because of his race. That video was posted by a conservative blogger.

After seeing the full video, where it was clear Sherrod had helped the farmer, Vilsack apologized and offered to rehire her.