Tuesday, June 16, 2009

B-b-b-breakin' the Law


Here's a story you probably haven't heard; because its not a positive one for the administration:

Former Inspector General Gerald Walpin filed two reports exposing gross misappropriation of federal AmeriCorps funds by a prominent Barack Obama supporter and was shortly thereafter fired by the White House, circumstances he told WND are likely linked and others have called an outright illegal action by the administration.

"I think you have to look at the facts and the circumstances and reach your conclusions," Walpin said in a WND interview. "I will tell you that [my firing] came only after we had issued those two reports to Congress, and I don't think that's a coincidence."

Further, Walpin said, "I was fired for doing my job."

Independent federal inspectors general are supposed to be granted special protection from political interference – thanks in part to a law written by then-Sen. Barack Obama – to ensure they are free to investigate waste and fraud uninfluenced by political cronyism.

But after Walpin dared to push for action against the St. HOPE Academy program – run by Obama supporter and former NBA star Kevin Johnson – which had misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal AmeriCorps funds, he nonetheless found himself fired by the White House under circumstances that have led some to wonder if Obama has violated his own co-sponsored law in retaliation.

The irony of all of this is that the law was broken by the author of the law...shame shame.

According to the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008, written by Obama, inspectors general do not serve at the president's pleasure and therefore cannot be fired without 30 days notice and written cause for the decision sent to Congress.

The firing of Walpin, however, took on a very different form.

Walpin confirmed that on Wednesday evening he received a sudden and unexpected ultimatum from White House counsel Norman L. Eisen: Resign within the hour or suffer being fired.

I think Nixon's legacy is tainted (yes I said it) by his quote, "when the president does something, it is not illegal." I guess this administration is no different. Funny though, that even as the author of the law, he would break it. Sadder though that unless you turn off the TV and read, read, read political news, you'll never hear this story break.

So again, I'm not surprised in the administrations illegal behavior - its politics (republican, democrat - it happens). But the news media has a responsibility to deliver truth. And just because this paints a bad light on a liberal administration, doesn't mean you can neglect telling the truth.

Keeping you informed,
Ross

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