Whistleblowers have reported that Lurita Doan offered the services of GSA to Republican candidates running for office in 2006, for example to arrange for events where they could appear. This would be the third time the controversial GSA appointee would use public office for private gain.
The Hatch Act prohibits the use of Federal workers, time and attention for political work. Although it sounds laudable, one goal of the act was to eliminate the ability of federal workers unions from lobbying for, or even discussing, the joys of working in an administration that would allow them to do their jobs well. Apparently, it didn't stop Doan from offering taxpayer money to help the administration in the 2006 races.
Doan also tried to dismantle the auditing of outside vendors, audits that prevent and discover waste and fraud. In 2006, Doan advanced a plan to remove from the budget the $5 million annually for scrutinizing the prices offered by vendors with multiple award schedules contracts. Since 2005, this pre-award scrutiny has saved the agency about $2 billion, according to the auditors' office. She had tried to steer this work to friends who would do less work for more money. This is the second time Doan tried to give government contracts to friends.
Davis is the point guard for the Administration's lies to the public on global warming and Iraq. His standard response, when Democrats finally have the majority votes to overcome the stonewalling and to investigate the corruption, is that the crimes are "old" or "political." Davis trots out the same complaints here.
Davis says the objections to Doan's criminal activity sound too "legal." How else should objections to crimes sound? He also argues Doan should be allowed free access to award government contracts for years until a criminal conviction can be proved. Should the job qualifications for someone who writes government checks be so low that it takes a conviction before the applicant is unqualified?
Waldo links to the hearings here.
Tom Davis should be held accountable for parroting this Administration's spin. Just as importantly, the coordination of Lurita Doan's testimony is raising eyebrows. Is the testimony prepared by ICG, where Davis's wife works helping witnesses who appear before Tom's Committee? Demand that ICG reveal it's client list!
According to GovExec.com:
The testimony IG Miller prepared for the hearing "reads like a legal brief in opposition to the administrator," the Davis staff report stated. The report also said Miller's background as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia raises the question of whether he has enough prior auditing experience to lead the IG office.
More generally, Davis stated that Waxman's investigation has "failed to establish" that Doan engaged in any form of misconduct.
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The committee's Democratic staff released a 10-page memorandum Tuesday that says that e-mail correspondence, documents and interviews provide evidence that the award of the contract on unfavorable terms to the government was made after Sun representatives intervened directly with Doan, contradicting the explicit recommendations of multiple civil service contract officials.
An employee who violates the Hatch Act shall be removed from their position, and funds appropriated for the position from which removed thereafter may not be used to pay the employee or individual. However, if the Merit Systems Protection Board finds by unanimous vote that the violation does not warrant removal, a penalty of not less than 30 days' suspension without pay shall be imposed by direction of the Board.
I thought they had Doan dead to rights yesterday about her January brown bagger. The committee cited multiple statements saying she participated, gave a speech, etc.
The bounds of GOP corruption seem endless.
I wonder if she helped write this report?
Republicans on the committee ... appear ready to come to Doan's defense. A report released Tuesday by Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., ranking member of the committee, highlighted tensions between the IG and the GSA chief.
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Penalties for Violating the Hatch Act
http://www.osc.gov/h...
Tell Tom Davis you have a right to decide for yourself if there is a conflict of interest and pay-to-play politics at work. Tell him and Jeannemarie to reveal the list of ICG clients who testified at Reform Committee hearings.