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11-20-2009
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The Hill
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Subject: Obama Accused of Doing Favors for Ally
From the website The Hill, we have the story, "Obama accused of doing favors for ally"
which tells us something about the operations of the Obama
administration, which pledged us "openness" and "transparency", but
instead is conducting politics as usual by shielding its agencies
from any form of serious scrutiny.
A GOP congressional report accuses the White House of doing
favors for Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA star
and prominent ally of President Barack Obama.
[...]
The investigation also found evidence that D.C. schools chief
Michelle Rhee handled "damage control" after allegations
surfaced of sexual misconduct against Johnson, her now-fiancé.
The probe was launched after an AmeriCorps inspector general,
Gerald Walpin, was abruptly fired in June by White House
lawyer Norm Eisen. Walpin, who was appointed to his position
during the Bush administration, was pursuing allegations that
Johnson misused some of the $800,000 in federal AmeriCorps
money provided to St. Hope Academy, a nonprofit school he
headed for several years.
Among the accusations: AmeriCorps-paid volunteers ran personal
errands for Johnson, washed his car and engaged in political
activities.
Walpin's firing caused an uproar, with his defenders arguing
that his removal was politically motivated and that Walpin
was an effective watchdog who blew the whistle on the
president's friends and pet causes.
The U.S. attorney for the area, Lawrence Brown, a Bush
appointee, did not pursue charges against Johnson, instead
filing an ethics complaint against Walpin for overstepping
his authority in his investigation of Johnson.
"He sought to act as the investigator, advocate, judge, jury
and town crier," Brown wrote in an April 29 letter.
As a result, the federal Council of the Inspectors General on
Integrity and Efficiency opened a review of Walpin's actions.
In early June, Obama said in a letter to Congress that he was
firing Walpin because he had lost confidence in him.
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Hope and Change you can count on.
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