Obama Removes AmeriCorps’s IG In Spat With Friend… UPDATE MORE ADDED
Since this story was published more informations has surfaced…
See below…
YAHOO News
By ANN SANNER and PETE YOST, Associated Press Writers
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama says he has lost confidence in the inspector general who investigates AmeriCorps and other national service programs and has told Congress he is removing him from the position.
Obama’s move follows an investigation by IG Gerald Walpin of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who is an Obama supporter and former NBA basketball star, into the misuse of federal grants by a nonprofit education group that Johnson headed.
Walpin was criticized by the acting U.S. attorney in Sacramento for the way he handled an investigation of Johnson and St. HOPE Academy, a nonprofit group that received hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grants from the Corporation for National Community Service. The corporation runs the AmeriCorps program.
“It is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspectors General,” Obama said in a letter Thursday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Joe Biden, who also serves as president of the Senate. “That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General.”
The president didn’t offer any more explanation, but White House Counsel Gregory Craig, in a letter to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, cited the U.S. attorney’s criticism of Walpin to an integrity committee for inspectors general.
“We are aware of the circumstances leading to that referral and of Mr. Walpin’s conduct throughout his tenure and can assure you that the president’s decision was carefully considered,” Craig wrote.
Grassley had written Obama a letter pointing to a law requiring that Congress be given the reasons an IG is fired. He cited a Senate report saying the requirement is designed to ensure that inspectors general are not removed for political reasons.
Grassley said Walpin had identified millions of dollars in AmeriCorps funds that were wasted or misspent and “it appears he has been doing a good job.”
Messages left for Walpin seeking comment were not immediately returned.
The IG found that Johnson, a former all-star point guard for the Phoenix Suns, had used AmeriCorps grants to pay volunteers to engage in school-board political activities, run personal errands for Johnson and even wash his car.
In August 2008, Walpin referred the matter to the local U.S. attorney’s office, which said the IG’s conclusions seemed overstated and did not accurately reflect all the information gathered in the investigation.
“We also highlighted numerous questions and further investigation they needed to conduct, including the fact that they had not done an audit to establish how much AmeriCorps money was actually misspent,” Acting U.S. Attorney Lawrence Brown said in an April 29 letter to the federal counsel of inspectors general.
Walpin’s office made repeated public comments just before the Sacramento mayoral election, prompting the U.S. attorney’s office to inform the media that it did not intend to file any criminal charges.
The U.S. attorney’s office reached a settlement in the matter. Brown cited press accounts that said Johnson and the nonprofit would repay half of nearly $850,000 in grants it received.
Kevin Hiestand, chairman of the board of St. HOPE Academy, said in a statement it was “about time” Walpin was removed. “Mr. Walpin’s allegations were meritless and clearly motivated by matters beyond an honest assessment of our program.”
Ken Bach, who works in the inspector general’s office at the corporation, will be acting inspector general until Obama appoints someone to the position.
Walpin, a New York attorney, was appointed by then-President George W. Bush and sworn into office in January 2007 after being confirmed by the Senate, according to a news release on AmeriCorps’ Web site. Walpin graduated from College of the City of New York in 1952 and received a law degree in 1955 from Yale Law School. He was a partner with the New York City law firm Katten Muchin and Rosenman LLP for more than 40 years.
Alan Solomont, a Democrat and the board chairman of the government-run corporation, and Stephen Goldsmith, a Republican and the board’s vice chair, said they strongly endorsed Obama’s decision.
NEW INFO…Obama’s Americorps scandal — and the First Lady’s meddling
President Obama is hoping you won’t notice his abrupt change of inspectors general over at Americorps, the government-run, taxpayer-subsidized “community service” boondoggle (which Republicans helped expand as part of the $6 billion GIVE/SERVE Act in March despite its wasteful track record. Thanks, Republicans).
With intervention from Michelle Obama, the Americorps inspector general was given the boot and replaced — for doing his job too well, it seems, and uncovering squandering of funds by favored contributors, educational institutions, and left-wing groups.
This Associated Press article only scratches the surface:
Via Michelle Malkin
Read the rest HERE
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More power grabbing.
This shit is so out of control it’s frustrating.
Why are we common citizens the only ones who follow the rule of law, there’s a ton of evidence that clearly shows this admin does not.
FUCKING BLATENT PRESIDENTIIAL COVER-UP FOR ONE OF OBAMA’S CRONIES. IMPEACH THE SON-OF-A-BITCH NOW!!!!
It’s getting beyond grotesque isn’t it. They keep the crisis mode going as well so they can get away with brushing this shit under the rug.
God damn they think we’re fucking stupid
There is no impeachment when he controls all 3 branches!!! Very soon the Dems will secure their 2010 Elections with ACORN-OBAMA-ites and there will be no chance of reversing it.
This is proof that WE are it. They only way for the Country to Surive….NOW.
There will be this sort of thing happening everyday, until you no longer read about it because everyone will be working for Obama.
You are witnessing the end of our Republic.
Nothing can be done about this because it is no longer reversible.
This move by the obama administration casts light that Walpin obviously has the character, integrity AND was performing his duties independently investigating allegations of waste, fraud, and corruption in the government. This will not be tolerated by an obama administration! In order to strengthen the acorn-americorps alliance, and funnel more money thru these organizations, the obama administration needs to get rid of IG’s who identify and aggressively go after this waste and fraud. obama will replace this servant with an IG who will be a more compliant team player.
P.S. Got your COLB?
And the state run media dances on,not one word spoken about this travisty of justice……
I’m very pleased he decied to do this. This is a good development, I suspect he really showed his ass. A few days ago it was Miranda for combatants, foreign nationals on foreign soil. Before that backstabbing the intelligence community.
I predicted impeachment within four, I remain committed to this.
I hope you’re right, but I sure don’t see it in the cards now.
Unless the Republicans get their heads out of their collective ass, they will get trounced in the 2010 elections.
If both the Senate and the House are controlled by the D’rats then there is no hope for anything but more of the same…
But unless I’m missing something, the Republicans are focusing more on 2012 rather than seizing control of the House at least and making gains in the Senate…
If the 2010 election happen. the chance Obama could be shut down. I fully expect we have seen the last election.
It is up to the men of this country and the first and second amendments.
“…The U.S. attorney’s office reached a settlement in the matter. Brown cited press accounts that said Johnson and the nonprofit would repay half of nearly $850,000 in grants it received…”
Innocent men do NOT repay shit.
Obama is up to his neck in this one. I hope he impales himself and I cannot wait until Walpin opens his mouth.
I have friends in Sacramento, and I know all about Johnson. Knew about him well before Obama was elected, and trust me, there is a huge story here that will be buried.
Johnson is worse than Marion Berry.
More Chicago/Third World Banana Republic politics.
Desert Rat
June 12, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I hope you’re right, but I sure don’t see it in the cards now….
I predicted months ago he would get involved with something of his own decision, maybe even against good advice that he will be unable to reverse. This present situation-and I have read the IG’s report and police reports of child molestation incidents which have been posted on the internet concerning the shit mayor hey elected in Sacramento-the mayor that is the subject of this IG investigation.
Obama fires the IG; the inference is Reprisal. I do not care why he fired him. The mayor already agreed to pay back money which is apparent evidence in this investigation.
This is what I am talking about. Obama is worse than Clinton immediately upon taking office. The innauguration itself was racially tainted.
Hios day is coming, and it will not be an assassination, it will be his own character that terminates his political career.
We already see his pre-dispositions and values and it hasn’t even been six months. It’s been a shit-storm worse than eight years of Clinton in just five months.
I say a million man march straight to the White House to remove him from power. Lets get all the Tea Parties and ALL Conservatives and anyone else interested going…set a date and march! The only way to do this is to organize and that is why we have those in ACTIVE. They have the connections to coordinate with ALL other organizations. DO IT NOW!
No Birth Certificate, No Presidency, put his Kenyan ass in jail and kick those welfare suckers he calls a family out of our esteemed White House!
-aTb
Lets first see if we can get people with enough courage to show up at tea parties openly ARMED.