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Probe finds new clues in AmeriCorps IG scandal

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
July 31, 2009
Gerald Walpin

After seven weeks of trying, investigators looking into President Barack Obama’s abrupt firing of AmeriCorps Inspector General Gerald Walpin are still unable to answer the most basic question of the whole affair: Why did the president do it?

They know the reasons the White House has given: That the 77-year-old Walpin was addled and not up to the job, that he had too many conflicts with the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps, that his office had once distributed a parody newsletter that contained an allegedly sexist remark.

They know all that. But they also know that AmeriCorps is one of Obama’s favorite federal programs. They know that AmeriCorps gave an $800,000-plus grant to Kevin Johnson, the mayor of Sacramento, Calif., who just happens to be an influential friend and supporter of the president. They know that Walpin investigated Johnson’s misuse of that federal money. They know that as a result of Walpin’s probe, Johnson was suspended from receiving any new federal grants, a fact that caused controversy in Sacramento when leaders realized it could prevent the city from receiving millions in federal stimulus money. They know that, amid the local uproar over the Johnson affair, the acting U.S. attorney in Sacramento, Lawrence Brown, made a deal to let Johnson off the hook, and then took the unusual step of denouncing Walpin. They know that Walpin vigorously objected to Johnson’s getting off easy. And they know that after Walpin protested, the president fired him.

Common sense suggests that’s a suspicious series of events. During the time his case was under review, did Johnson, or anyone acting on his behalf, ever get in touch with the White House? Did the White House get in touch with him? And did Johnson’s relationship with Obama, plus the Sacramento political establishment’s desire to get the stimulus cash, play any role in Brown’s actions?

Those are the key underlying questions in the AmeriCorps affair, but investigators have been stymied by the White House’s refusal to answer any inquiries about any communications or other dealings it might have had on the subject. Brown has also refused to answer questions.

Now, investigators are trying a new route, examining the role of the Justice Department. Sen. Jeff Sessions, ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has asked the committee chairman, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, for a hearing on the AmeriCorps/Walpin affair, focusing specifically on the role of Brown and his bosses at Justice.

According to a senior Republican aide, Sessions’ interest was piqued by a statement made in a late March television interview by Rep. Doris Matsui, the Democratic congresswoman who represents Sacramento. Asked whether Johnson’s problems could prevent the city from receiving stimulus funds, Matsui said that, at Johnson’s request, she had “been in conversation with officials at the White House and OMB [Office of Management and Budget] and others to ensure that we don’t lose any money at all.”

Within days of Matsui’s statement, a settlement was reached. Johnson was unsuspended, and in a particularly unusual move, acting U.S. Attorney Brown issued a press release hailing the arrival of stimulus funds. “The lifting of the suspension against all parties, including Mayor Johnson, removes any cloud whether the City of Sacramento will be prevented form receiving much-needed federal stimulus funds,” Brown wrote.

Republicans on the Judiciary Committee want to know why a U.S. attorney was touting his own actions in bringing stimulus money to the city. That’s not the normal role of prosecutors. “We need to hear whether the settlement in this case was tainted in any way by political influence or political factors,” says the senior Republican aide.

So far, Brown has refused to answer any questions. In June, Rep. Darrell Issa, the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a list of 20 questions to Brown and received no response. A follow-up in July was similarly ignored. “Your unwillingness to be cooperative with our investigation raises further questions about your role in this matter,” Issa wrote Brown.

Adding to the suspicions is the fact that the only person who objected to the Johnson deal, who said it shouldn’t be done, was Gerald Walpin. And for his efforts, he was fired.

A growing number of lawmakers want to know why.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Probe-finds-new-clues-in-AmeriCorps-IG-scandal--52109667.html
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Now the questions:
Are Obama's actions reflective of;
A) The transparancy of government that he promised
B) The accountablity of government that he promised
C) Hope and Change
D) Dirty Chicago politics
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
November 21, 2009
Was IG Walpin fired because he uncovered hush money scandal?
Rick Moran

In normal America, this would be a hot story; Inspector General fired by the White House (illegally) for uncovering a scandal involving a friend of the president who paid hush money to women to keep them from talking about his sexual harassment of them.

And to make the scandal juicier, the president's friend's girlfriend - the Chancellor of public schools in Washington, D.C. - helped him cover up the wrongdoing.

Now doesn't that sound like a juicy scandal? It's got everything; sexual wrongdoing, pro sports, people in high places, cover up, bribery, and a connection to the President of the United States.

But this isn't "normal" America. This is Obama's America where such stories that might have sunk a Republican president are considered "distractions" and not worthy of covering.

To fill in some of the names; Former pro-basketball star now Mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson, a personal friend and supporter of the president, evidently got a little too friendly with at least three women who he paid to hush up his "inappropriate advances."

Enter the Inspector General Gerald Walpin who oversees Americorps and whose investigation had already revealed irregularities in the use of that agency's money by Johnson, including paying kids to wash his car and expensing items from his campaign.

When Walpin tried to have Johnson brought up on charges, the U.S. attorney balked and settled the matter without going to trial (Johnson's charity, St. Hope, paid back more than $800,000 to Americorps). Walpin, quite rightly, was furious and took the matter to the Americorps board where he discovered to his chagrin that a new wind was blowing through Washington and the board members didn't want to anger president Obama.

The result was that an Obama supporter on the board fired off a letter to the White House demanding that Walpin be fired. The excuse was that he was basically senile and that it was imperative that he be removed immediately - despite a law that protected IG's from this kind of summary treatment.

This all happened last spring. Well, now Johnson's peccadilloes have been revealed by congressional investigators along with the attempt to buy the silence of women. And "damage control was handled by none other than Michelle Rhee, then on the board of one of Americorp's charities, now Chancellor of the DC public school system.

Byron York of the Examiner has the juicy details:

The employee told investigators that Rhee told her that "she was making this her number one priority, and she would take care of the situation." A short time later, the employee learned that the girl who had complained about Johnson had received a visit from Johnson's personal attorney.

The congressional report quotes the girl as saying the attorney "basically asked me to keep quiet," and Johnson offered her $1,000 a month for the duration of her time with St. Hope. Once investigators learned about that, the report says, they had "reasonable suspicions about potential hush money payments and witness tampering at a federally funded entity."

Rhee did not respond to calls for comment Friday.

Walpin included the allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct, along with evidence of misuse of federal money, in a criminal referral to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Sacramento. The acting U.S. Attorney, Lawrence Brown, reached a settlement with Johnson under which St. Hope was obligated to pay back some of the money, but took no action on the other matters.

The White House fired Walpin on June 10. The sexual misconduct allegations he was investigating have been secret until now.

Needless to say, this puts a whole new spin on the Walprin firing. True to his oath to be watchful of taxpayer money, Walprin was smeared, fired, and then smeared again by the White House when it is clear that he was only doing his job.

There are several laws that have been broken here, including possible sexual misconduct by Johnson. Here's a quote from Walpin's report from City Paper's Mike DeBonis where the victim of Johnson's unwanted sexual advances gets the hush money offer:

After, as [REDACTED] put it, she "got the courage to tell... my supervisors," she reported the incident, which, she was informed, was communicated to St. HOPE Academy's Human Resources Department and the Chief Financial Officer. The night after [REDACTED] made her report, Mr. Johnson approached her and apologized. Subsequently, Kevin Hiestand, Johnson's personal attorney, met with [REDACTED], described himself only "as a friend of Johnson," and "basically asked me to keep quiet." Also, about one week after this incident, when [REDACTED] told Mr. Johnson she was going to quit because of financial and family reasons, Mr. Johnson "offered to give me $1,000 a month until the end of the program," stating that it would be confidential "between him and I."

Where to now? Senator Grassley has proved to be a bulldog in the past when it comes to whistleblowers in government. Many of them consider the Iowa senator their patron saint. We have not heard the last of this - even if it is barely covered in the media - and you can be sure that the senator will keep asking for an explanation for Walpin's firing - a request he made of the White House many months ago and has not been fulfilled as of yet.
 

hopalong

Well-known member
If this had happened on Bush's watch, the liberals would have had a bonfire and yelling for more tar and feathers.

oldtimer would have been beating on a drum, kolo, would have been doing a dance of joy, r2 would have been on the phone calling all her friends in high places.

Where is their indignation now??????

In fact where is thjeir rebuttal, their defense of Obama????
 

MoGal

Well-known member
Actually, the bigger question is ??? why isn't the SEC investigating??

I'll look for the article but a few weeks ago, I saw where someone had "puts" on AIG that their value would fall and they made 270 million .... who or what bank did this because after that it did fall and the gov had to bail them out.............. these are the same type "puts" that were done to the airlines prior to the 9/11 attack........... will look for the article tonight but I'm off to the movies with visiting family.
 

jingo2

Well-known member
MoGal said:
Actually, the bigger question is ??? why isn't the SEC investigating??

I'll look for the article but a few weeks ago, I saw where someone had "puts" on AIG that their value would fall and they made 270 million .... who or what bank did this because after that it did fall and the gov had to bail them out.............. these are the same type "puts" that were done to the airlines prior to the 9/11 attack........... will look for the article tonight but I'm off to the movies with visiting family.


Let me guess, 2012???

I don't think YOU seem to be the type that needs to see that...................
 

MoGal

Well-known member
Actually Jingo .............. I saw Backslide, a family type movie.

Why don't you read this article Jingo about the pentagon using psyops on the American people:

http://rawstory.com/2009/10/bryan-whitman-2/


I've heard that some parts of 2012 (and I repeat some) are supposed to be happening right before the Antichrist arises........ but do not think that the world will end in 2012 because it won't...... the Mayans did not say the world would end, they said it would be a new beginning. Read the book of Daniel in the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and Daniel interpreted it. Start at Daniel 2:31 and then at Daniel 2:41 it talks about the image's feet and toes........... you see Jingo, the ten toes are the ten unions (North American, European, Central Asia, etc.......) that are being formed..... the ten unions have to be formed before the Antichrist can arise........ and if you read your bible a little more you'll find out in "one hour they give their authority over to the beast" and he destroys 3 of the unions....... the world will think the Antichrist is a military and economic genius (because right before he arises there is total worldwide economic collapse)..... now don't be fooled into thinking its coming right now because it isn't ............. the federal reserve has to devalue the dollar enough so people will accept a North American Union and a new currency....... (listen to the hype and fear the mainstream media news puts out because they know when people are fearful they will give up their sovereignty) each union will have their own currency and then there will be a global currency used for trade between the unions.

You see Jingo, what was one of the things the devil offered Jesus (when he was up on the mountain) if he would fall down and worship him??? He offered him dominion over the earth............. you see Satan has dominion over the earth and that is why he is roaming up and down seeking those whom he may devour............ if Satan had realized that by Jesus dying on the cross for our sins that gave Christians dominion over satan (by the blood and through the blood of Jesus, and preachers need to teach the believers how to use that power to bind the devil) then satan would never have allowed Jesus to die on the cross. You see far too many Christians are luke warm and going to the Laodecian church........ they aren't looking to God to be their God, their Jehovah Jirah, their YHWH.
Don't you think if Satan has dominion over the earth, then he would control the money as well???? So it comes down to: do you live in the world's economy or do you live in God's economy??? God isn't broke but when man rules over man instead of God, then greed and selfishness gets in the way. The earth will never end because God establishes his kingdom here on earth.

Sorry for hijacking the thread.
 

jingo2

Well-known member
MsSage said:
Again you have to make snid comments :roll:
If you cant debate the facts leave the personal attacks OUT.


I didn't see any facts.


And I got one question for you all you believe this 2012 crap.


If the Mayans were so great with their predictions of the future to come....why didn't they know the Spanish were coming?
 

MsSage

Well-known member
First you ASSUME I believe in the 2012 BS. Looks like a cool movie but NOT based on fact.
Second YOUR the one who brought 2012 into the conversation ...Mo said she was going to a movie

I was asking for facts regarding the topic at hand......another cover up and act of incompetence from the amatures in the white house.
If you see no facts then why bother responding? Keep your personal attacks OUT.

ps ~try reading your bible and it will tell you when the end of the world will be...... :wink: No ONE will know the time and it will come unexpectedly.
 

Steve

Well-known member
jingo2 said:
3rd.....WHO ARE YOU?


You're quiet the heel biter aren't ya?

gee, a johnny come lately with no profile,... questions a long time poster about identity?

We all know who Sage is and where she is coming from...

the only thing we know about you are from the snotty comments you make.
 
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