DOJ Official Fired in Wake of ABC News Investigation

[sabra]

Source: ABC News


Official Had Refused to Testify at Congressional Hearing Last Week

A Department of Justice official was fired yesterday after refusing to testify at a Congressional hearing regarding whether or not her office awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in grants based on political favoritism and personal connections.

Michele DeKonty, Chief of Staff for the DOJ's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Administrator, cited the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, and declined to appear at the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing last week.

DeKonty's departure also comes on the heels of a Justice Department probe into alleged irregular contracting practices within its own ranks according to a federal law enforcement official close to the investigation.

Questions about the agency's awarding of grants were raised earlier this month by ABC News on Nightline.

OJJDP staff members were notified of DeKonty's departure this morning in an email from the office's administrator, J. Robert Flores, who is also under investigation by the DOJ's Inspector General. That investigation probes Flores' hiring of a Honduran Colonel as a contractor on faith-based issues and his alleged golfing during conferences on taxpayer-funded business trips, according to a staff member who was contacted by the OIG.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5245645&page=1

[Doctor_J]

1. Fired? Shouldn't refusing to testify result in prison?

She'll just go become a $2M/yr lobbyist.

PRISON FOR EVERYONE IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION

[Winterblues]

6. Lobbying positions for Republicans may not be quite so lucrative

in the coming years. It will be hard for a very partisan republican to get many results from a Democratic Congress...Republican's wad may be shot..

[sharp_stick]

2. Now they should figure out everyone

that she helped and go after them too. The DOJ is going to need to be fucking steam cleaned after the next election, I'm thinking a full on purge is in order.

[williesgirl]

3. If she invoked the 5th, that's against CRIMINAL offenses. She can/should be arrested NOW. rec'd

[Dr.Phool]

4. You gotta be pretty bad to be fired in this administration.

Especially for a loyal bushie.

[mopinko]

5. time for a scapegoat, i see.

enjoy the meat.

[Supersedeas]

7. only hot exposure by ABC could wake Mukasey from the flat slumber of a Bush crony