The Smoke Break

You want some brie with that whine?

White House Lies About Walpin No Surprise

By

In this administration’s typical Friday night fashion, and conveniently just after Senator Charles Grassley and Representative Darrell Issa released a reporton their investigation into the firing of Inspector General Gerald Walpin last June, the White House released documents that clearly show their actions were, as many originally noted, in retaliation for Walpin’s daring to call out the misuse of funds by President Walking Eagle’s pal, Kevin Johnson.  Insight into the White House scramble to cover their tracks and “prevent and control the damage” is detailed here.

But there’s more to it than just using taxpayer money to pay someone to wash his car.  What has been kept under wraps is that Kevin Johnson was also under investigation for sexual misconduct.  Johnson’s fiancee, D.C. schools chief  (then St. Hope board member) Michelle Rhee, allegedly attempted “damage control”, sending her personal attorney to pay a visit to one of the women who had complained about Johnson and 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.””

Gerald Walpin reported on all of this, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento (namely, Lawrence Brown) decided to only go after the money with about as much force as an old, blind and toothless chihuahua.  Walpin didn’t like this obviously political choice, was strongly critical of the Corporation for National and Community Service and wanted the probe to continue, particularly in light of a new allegation that St. Hope employees might have destroyed evidence.

So in order to protect Barry’s icky little friend, Gerald Walpin ended up under a Chicago bus.

Mr. Walpin Goes To Washington

By

To the United States Court for the District of Columbia, to be exact.  It’s not making the mainstream media news, but Gerald Walpin, the U.S. Inspector General who was illegally strong-armed to resign by -ironically in any other world – the President’s Special Council for Ethics and Government Reform and when he refused found himself quickly fired from his position last month for insisting rules be followed during an AmeriCorps audit that found gross misuse of funds by Kevin Johnson, former NBA player and, wouldn’t you know it, one of President Obama’s close friends, has filed a lawsuit against the Corporation for National and Community Service (it oversees AmeriCorps).  The suit alleges the firing was “unlawful,” “politically driven,” “procedurally defective” and “a transparent and clumsily-conducted effort to circumvent the protections” given to inspectors general under the Inspectors General Reform Act of 2008.  The lawsuit also rightfully raises questions about age discrimination based on the flimsy “excuses” that finally dribbled out from the Orchid Office, as well as questions about whistleblower retaliation.

As has been documented, no one except Mr. Walpin followed the law where AmeriCorps or the Corporation for National and Community Service are concerned, so our hats are off to him for standing up for what’s right.  Tellingly, he isn’t seeking punative damages, only that the Court declare his firing was unlawful, reinstatement of his position, and that his attorney fees be paid.

Now unless there are critical facts of which we are yet unaware (the “personality conflicts” being bandied about by some in an attempt to discredit Mr. Walpin do not count when documenting how taxpayer monies are used), this case stands to bring transparency to the workings of the Obama administration.  The  kind of transparency that can finally begin to bring about the change America needs, not the change Obama and merry band of thieves want.