Special Counsel Probe Into Rove’s Politicization Of Government Advances

[kpete]

In April, the Office of Special Counsel launched what the LA Times described as a "broad investigation into key elements of the White House political operations that for more than six years have been headed by chief strategist Karl Rove." The OSC, generally a fairly obscure federal investigative unit that reviews Hatch Act violations and charges of discrimination in the federal workforce, suggested the probe would encompass quite a bit, including the U.S. Attorney purge, missing White House e-mails, and the Bush gang's efforts to politicize presidential appointees.

"This is a big deal," Paul C. Light, a New York University expert on the executive branch, said of OSC's plan. "It is a significant moment for the administration and Karl Rove. It speaks to the growing sense that there is a nexus at the White House that explains what's going on in these disparate investigations."

more at:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/014654.php


Special Counsel Probe Into Rove’s Politicization Of Government Advances

The Office of Special Counsel, which has already recommended that GSA chief Lurita Doan be suspended or fired for participating in partisan activities while on the job, is now moving forward with its investigation of nearly 20 other administration agencies.

Eighteen agencies have been asked by the Office of Special Counsel to preserve electronic information dating back to January 2001 as part of its governmentwide investigation into alleged violations of the law that limits political activity in federal agencies.

The OSC task force investigating the claims has asked agencies, including the General Services Administration, to preserve all e-mail records, calendar information, phone logs and hard drives going back to the beginning of the Bush administration. The task force is headed by deputy OSC special counsel James Byrne.

The White House has admitted that roughly 20 agencies have received a PowerPoint briefing created by Karl Rove’s office “that included slides listing Democratic and Republican seats the White House viewed as vulnerable in 2008, a map of contested Senate seats and other information on 2008 election strategy.”

Politicization of the federal government has been illegal for decades. The 1939 Hatch Act specifically prohibits partisan campaign or electoral activities on federal government property, including federal agencies. But in 2005, Ken Mehlman, formerly one of Bush’s top political advisers, outlined the White House’s strategy of utilizing government resources for partisan gain:

One of the things that can happen in Washington when you work in an agency is that you forget who sent you there. And it’s important to remind people that you’re George Bush people. … If there’s one empire I want built, it’s the George Bush empire.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/16/counsel-hatch-probe/

[L. Coyote]

1. Oversight Committee Asks Agencies for Information on Political Presentations

Thursday, April 26, 2007
Administration Oversight
Oversight Committee Asks Agencies for Information on Political Presentations
http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1272

Following media reports that at least 20 political briefings were given to officials of at least 15 federal agencies, Chairman Waxman writes to government agencies requesting further information and documents about any briefings mentioning elections or candidates provided to agency employees by officials in the White House.
Documents and Links

* Letter to Secretary Gutierrez
* Letter to Administrator Johnson
* Letter to Attorney General Gonzales
* Letter to Secretary Jackson
* Letter to Secretary Peters
* Letter to Secretary Rice
* Letter to Secretary Kempthorne
* Letter to Secretary Nicholson
* Letter to Secretary Gates
* Letter to Secretary Spellings
* Letter to Secretary Chertoff
* Letter to Secretary Johanns
* Letter to Secretary Leavitt
* Letter to Secretary Bodman
* Letter to Secretary Chao
* Letter to Secretary Paulson
* Letter to Chairman Cox
* Letter to Director Springer
* Letter to Chairman Lenhard
* Letter to Chairman Majoras
* Letter to Chairman Martin
* Letter to Administrator Preston
* Letter to Chairman Nord
* Letter to Administrator Griffin
* Letter to Director Walters
* Letter to Director Marburger
* Letter to Administrator Doan

[L. Coyote]

2. Hearing Examines Statements Made by GSA Administrator Doan

Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Administration Oversight
Hearing Examines Statements Made by GSA Administrator Doan
Table of Contents
http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1337

VIDEO of the hearing:

The Oversight Committee held a hearing on June 13, 2007, to examine statements made by GSA Administrator Lurita Doan that impugn the reputation of federal officials who cooperated with a Committee investigation into Ms. Doan's conduct at the General Services Administration.

Chairman Waxman's Opening Statement

This hearing of the House Oversight Committee will come to order. I would like to welcome our witness, Lurita A. Doan, the Administrator of the General Services Administration.

This hearing is not being held to reinvestigate Ms. Doan’s violations of the Hatch Act. Our hearing on March 28 and the subsequent investigation by the Office of Special Counsel provide an ample record to assess Ms. Doan’s compliance with this important law.

This hearing will focus on two new issues. First, there are serious questions whether Ms. Doan testified truthfully during our first hearing. And there are also new allegations that Ms. Doan tried to intimidate and retaliate against federal employees who cooperated with the Committee’s investigation. Both issues should be of great concern to all members of our Committee.

When our Committee learned earlier this year that Ms. Doan may have violated the federal Hatch Act by asking GSA political appointees how they could help Republican candidates in upcoming elections, we appropriately initiated an investigation. As part of this investigation, six GSA political appointees were asked to give transcribed interviews or depositions to the Committee.

All six agreed to come before the Committee voluntarily. And all six told us about a political presentation at GSA headquarters in January by Scott Jennings, Karl Rove’s deputy in the White House. ....

Documents and Links

[kpete]

3. L. Coyote

we are becoming quite the team - you and I, kp

[L. Coyote]

5. K&R

[Qutzupalotl]

4. K&R