Obama fires AmeriCorps' Inspector General for daring to investigate his friend

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

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 finding misuse of federal grants by a nonprofit education group led by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who is an Obama supporter and former NBA basketball star.

...

"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.

...

Grassley had written Obama a letter pointing to a law requiring that Congress be given the reasons an IG is fired.

...

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."

...

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.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090612/ap_on_...spector_general

[Ban Hammer 14,569]

where's the democratic outrage?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

A democrat posted the thread.

[natty bumppo 297]

is this the change obama was talking about ...

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Sounds political/personal (firing) to me:

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.

So - they actually paid back money misappropriated...

Yeah - not guilty at all...

[Ban Hammer 14,569]

A democrat posted the thread.

with no commentary.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

A democrat posted the thread.

with no commentary.

i editorialized in the title.. my usual.

[Ban Hammer 14,569]

A democrat posted the thread.

with no commentary.

i editorialized in the title.. my usual.

not good enough.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

I see another czar coming! Will that be 16 or 17 now?

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Czars are quite appropriate for a Marxist administration.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

It's good that he sees the need to replace someone that isn't perfoming as expected, and doing it in a timely manner. He's not embarrased to make changes or admit to a mistake. The Republicans woud never do this. They continue on a set path, even when they see it leading to disaster.

[nowhereman 1]

where's the democratic outrage?

I never even heard of this story until now... if true then Obama is wrong. At the same time Bush got away with pretty much the same thing (Gonzalez firing people who opposed Bush) so although two wrongs don't make a right apparently its the status quo in politics.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

A democrat posted the thread.

Really? Why do you love taxes?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Typical for Obama. Is anyone surprised?

[Immigrant2009 0]

Is this true or a rumor?