Watchdog Faces 3 Investigations,Expenditures, Reassignments by Commerce Dept.'s Inspector General

[maddezmom]

Source: Washington Post

Watchdog Faces Three Investigations
Expenditures, Reassignments by Commerce Dept.'s Inspector General Challenged

By Joe Stephens and John Solomon
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, May 2, 2007; Page A04

The inspector general of the Department of Commerce, the watchdog charged with rooting out wrongdoing at the agency, is himself the subject of three separate government investigations into allegations that he misspent his budget and retaliated against employees who raised concerns about his actions.

Last week, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Dingell (D-Mich.); Rep. Joe L. Barton (Tex.), the ranking Republican on the panel; and two other members sent an eight-page letter to the inspector general, Johnnie E. Frazier, demanding scores of records. Investigators from two executive-branch agencies have also been looking into Frazier's conduct.


Among the allegations are that he engaged in questionable travel at taxpayer expense, at times over weekends and accompanied by his grandchildren, to cities where the inspector general does not have offices, according to documents and interviews with people close to the inquiries. The investigators are also interested in whether Frazier improperly arranged for a no-bid $150,000 contract to be awarded to a consulting company that the committee's letter alleges was "connected" to a retiring employee of Frazier's office.

A number of senior staff members, including Frazier's deputy, have been reassigned in recent months. At least two have sought whistle-blower protection by alleging that Frazier retaliated against them, and a third has contacted the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging discrimination and retaliation, according to the people interviewed.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/01/AR2007050101775.html?hpid=topnews

[xchrom]

1. republicks love them some corruption.

[formercia]

2. A fertile breeding ground for cockaroaches.

as Tony Montana might say....:evilgrin:

[rodeodance]

3. oh my!!---Is there any dept. in this Adm. that not corrupt??

[Demit]

4. It's so freaking BLATANT. His grandchildren, to cities (cities plural!) where he couldn't do

business. Are these people corrupt when they come in, or is it that once they're there they realize it's party time and there are no holds barred? I just can't get over the utter contempt for rules and law.