CREW: Under investigation, HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson to resign today

[L. Coyote]

Under investigation, HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson to resign today
31 March 2008 - http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/31333


Alphonso Jackson, the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is expected to announce his resignation later today. As we've reported, Jackson has been at the center of numerous investigations (http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/30638), including an FBI investigation (http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/30247).

MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23873252/?from=ET)has the latest update: .....

....

Chances are this won't be the last news we hear about Mr. Jackson.

=====================
TPM: Jackson Bows Out to "Attend More Diligently to Personal and Family Matters"
By Paul Kiel - March 31, 2008 - http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/jackson_bows_out_to_attend_mor.php

Yup, more quality time with the family it is......

"During my time here, I have sought to make America a better place to live, work and raise a family. We have helped families keep their homes. We have transformed public housing. We have reduced chronic homelessness. And, we have preserved affordable housing and increased minority homeownership....."

[L. Coyote]

1. WSJ (breaking the news): HUD Secretary Expected to Quit

HUD Secretary Expected to Quit
Jackson's Departure Would Hurt Efforts To Fix Housing Mess
By DAMIAN PALETTA and MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS - March 31, 2008 - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120692786807175983.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us


WASHINGTON -- Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson is expected to announce his resignation Monday, according to people familiar with the matter, a decision that will deal a blow to the Bush administration's efforts to tackle the housing crisis.

The exact reasons for Mr. Jackson's decision couldn't be learned. Earlier this month, two Democratic senators, Patty Murray of Washington and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, sent a letter to President Bush urging him to request Mr. Jackson's resignation, arguing that accusations of wrongdoing had made him ineffective.

..............

Mr. Jackson's most-recent problems stem from a Philadelphia redevelopment deal. The city's housing authority has filed a lawsuit charging that Mr. Jackson tried to punish the agency for blocking a deal involving a friend of his. The allegations came up during congressional hearings this month. Mr. Jackson declined to answer questions, saying the judge in the lawsuit had instructed the department not to talk.

............

[L. Coyote]

11. 2008.03.21: Democratic senators call on HUD's Jackson to resign

2 Democratic senators want HUD's Jackson to resign
By MATTHEW DALY (AP) - March 21, 2008 - http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5638526.html

WASHINGTON — Two Democratic senators said today that Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, buffeted by allegations of cronyism and favoritism, should resign.

Sens. Patty Murray of Washington state and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut said that Jackson's problems represented a "worsening distraction" at HUD at a time when the nation needs a credible housing secretary who is beyond suspicion.

.........

At a subcommittee hearing last week, Murray repeatedly asked Jackson about the Philadelphia deal and other allegations of wrongdoing, including an investigation by HUD's inspector general that was triggered by Jackson's boast that he once revoked a contract because an applicant said he did not like Bush.

The inspector general, after a four-month inquiry, turned up no evidence of a canceled contract. But the report found what it called "some problematic instances" involving HUD contracts and grants, including Jackson's opposition to money for a contractor whose executives donated exclusively to Democratic candidates.

Murray said she offered Jackson a chance to "debunk any misunderstandings and clear his name." Instead, "Jackson stubbornly refused to provide the answers the American public deserves," she said. .................

[L. Coyote]

12. Dodd, Murray call on HUD’s Jackson to resign = letter to Bush

Dodd, Murray call on HUD’s Jackson to resign
Jessica Holzer - 03/21/08 - http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/dodd-murray-call-on-huds-jackson-to-resign-2008-03-21.html

Two key Senate Democrats called for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Alphonso Jackson to step down on Friday, saying that he had refused to clear up allegations of impropriety clouding his tenure at the agency.

In a letter to President Bush, Sens. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) accused Jackson of stonewalling them during two recent appearances before their panels.

............

An Inspector General’s report revealed that Jackson had urged senior staff to take political affiliation into account when awarding contracts.

According to e-mails recently reported by The Washington Post, high-level HUD officials appeared to be scheming to take away federal funds from the Philadelphia Housing Authority after it did not turn over land to one of Jackson’s friends.

.............

[L. Coyote]

13. 2007.10.04: KATRINA AFTERMATH - Questionable Contracts

KATRINA AFTERMATH - Questionable Contracts
Edward T. Pound, National Journal - Oct. 4, 2007 - http://news.nationaljournal.com/articles/071004nj2.htm


In April last year, Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson traveled to Dallas to deliver a speech to a group of minority real estate executives. The event should have been pretty routine stuff. But Jackson -- and these are his words -- shot off his mouth by describing how he believed contracts should be awarded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The secretary recalled, for instance, how he once had killed a contract award because the contractor had disparaged his friend President Bush.

......... Democratic lawmakers, citing concerns about political favoritism in HUD contract awards, called for an investigation by the department's inspector general. ........

HUD Inspector General Kenneth Donohue launched an investigation. In September 2006, Donohue rendered his verdict in a lengthy report: Although Jackson had, in fact, urged senior aides to consider the political views of contractors in doling out department business, "no direct evidence" linked political favoritism to such awards ......

....Donohue's investigators are now working with the FBI, a federal grand jury in Washington, and prosecutors from the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section. The investigation appears to focus, in part, on whether Jackson misled Congress when he testified earlier this year that he had never intervened in awarding HUD contracts. "I don't touch contracts," the HUD boss told a Senate panel on May 3.

Investigators are exploring whether Jackson, despite that testimony, had actually lined up a contract at the HUD-controlled Housing Authority of New Orleans, or HANO, for a golfing buddy and social friend from Hilton Head Island, S.C. The friend, William Hairston, was paid more than $485,000 for working at HANO during an 18-month period, according to figures provided by HUD and a former HANO official. The work was not competitively bid.

...............

[L. Coyote]

2. OVERDUE: Sept 2006 = HUD secretary, "personally intervened ... Democratic political affiliations,"

Probe Finds Jackson Urged Favoritism in HUD Contracts
No Evidence That Staff Complied
Elizabeth Williamson - September 22, 2006; Page A15 - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/21/AR2006092101628.html

An inspector general's report charges that top U.S. housing official Alphonso Jackson urged staff members to favor friends of President Bush when awarding Department of Housing and Urban Development contracts. But investigators so far have found no direct proof that Jackson's staff obeyed.

His chief of staff told investigators that Jackson, the HUD secretary, "personally intervened with contractors whom he did not like . . . these contractors had Democratic political affiliations," says the report, a copy of which was made available to The Washington Post.

The investigation "did not disclose any pattern or practice of issuing contracts based on political affiliation . . . however, there were some limited instances where political affiliation may have been a factor in contract issues involving Jackson," the report says.

Awarding contracts on the basis of party affiliation violates federal law.

.............

[L. Coyote]

3. SOURCEWATCH: Contracting scandal

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Alphonso_Jackson

....

Contracting scandal

On April 28, 2006, Jackson gave a speech in Dallas in which he told a story about a contractor who made "a heck of a proposal and was on the General Services Administration list, so we selected him." However, after Jackson said the man told him, "I have a problem with your president... I don’t like President Bush," HUD changed its mind and "he didn't get the contract." Jackson said he told the man, "Brother, you have a disconnect — the president is elected, I was selected. You wouldn’t be getting the contract unless I was sitting here. If you have a problem with the president, don’t tell the secretary." Jackson asked the crowd, "Why should I reward someone who doesn't like the president, so they can use funds to try to campaign against the president? Logic says they don't get the contract. That's the way I believe." <3> <4>

Denying a contract based on political affiliation of opinions is a possible violation of the Competition in Contracting Act. <5> ....

http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2006/05/08/story1.html
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/09/jackson-canceled-contract/

Also on May 9, Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said that bringing such political considerations into federal contracting was possibly illegal and requested all documents related to the contract mentioned in the speech or any other contract Jackson was involved in. <9> The same day, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) called on President George W. Bush to ask for Jackson's immediate resignation. <10>

http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20060509163225-47415.pdf
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Senator_demands_resignation_of_Housing_Secretary_0509.html

............

[Mabus]

4. The old "spending more time with my family" ploy

:rofl:

[intheflow]

5. Preserved affordable housing?

:wtf: Has this guy never heard of HUD's actions and further plans to demolish undamaged public housing in NOLA and on the Mississippi Coast after Katrina? :grr:

[L. Coyote]

6. This bares the motivations of the Bushco junta, cronyism and regime perpetuation.

Give the contracts to your friends, receive the contributions from your friends.

No quid pro quo here, MOVE ON!

[L. Coyote]

10. Shadow of PHA tiff, .. = investigation = payments of $392,000 = Jackson friend hired

In shadow of PHA tiff, HUD boss quits
By MICHAEL HINKELMAN- Philadelphia Daily News - Apr. 1, 2008
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20080401_In_shadow_of_PHA_tiff__HUD_boss_quits.html

Jackson's office is under federal investigation for payments of $392,000 that HUD had made to a Jackson friend hired as a construction manager in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Two U.S. senators - Democrats Chris Dodd and Patty Murray - sent Bush a letter March 20 asking him to fire Jackson.

PHA, meanwhile, has filed a lawsuit alleging that Jackson tried to punish PHA executive director Carl Greene because he nixed a development deal involving Jackson's friend Kenny Gamble.

Jackson did not mention either controversy yesterday in his resignation statement. Instead, he touted his record of reducing homelessness, preserving affordable housing and increasing minority homeownership ....

[L. Coyote]

7. Three arrested in public housing protest = NOPD "this is now a crime scene,"

NOPD: "this is now a crime scene," ... YEAH, that is why they are protesting!!!

==============
Three arrested in public housing protest
Katy Reckdahl, The Times-Picayune - March 18, 2008 - http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/three_protesters_arrest_at_st.html

The latest in a string of local protests against the demolition of the city's "Big Four" public housing developments has resulted in the arrest of three vocal opponents.

About 30 protesters held signs and yelled "stop the demolition" over bullhorns outside the partially demolished St. Bernard Housing Development. They were demanding that officials at all levels stop the demolition in order to give Congress time to investigate charges of corruption against Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alfonso Jackson.

Around 10:30 a.m., New Orleans Police officers at the scene shouted from across Milton Street that "this is now a crime scene," meaning that anyone behind the yellow plastic tape would be arrested.

A few protesters objected to being shuffled outside the cordoned off area and were handcuffed and taken away ........

[L. Coyote]

8. WA POST: The Portrait of a (HUD) Secretary = portraits " price tag of $100,000"

HUD Secretary Jackson Announces Resignation
CBS News, NY - Mar 31, 2008
Jackson said in the letter he will stay on until April 18, to "fully assist in the orderly transition of the leadership at HUD." .....
all 1,215 news articles » news.google.com/news

=============
The Portrait of a (HUD) Secretary - http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2008/04/the_portrait_of_a_hud_secretar.html

Now that Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson has resigned amid scandal, what will become of the multi-thousand dollar portrait of himself that he commissioned last fall to hang on the wall of HUD's new state-of-the-art auditorium?

Currently, Jackson's portrait, and the others he had commissioned simultaneously of the four HUD secretaries before him -- Jack Kemp, Henry Cisneros, Andrew Cuomo and Mel Martinez -- are being stored in the basement at HUD, according to HUD spokesman Jerry Brown. Jackson wanted all five portraits to be painted in record time at a price tag of $100,000, according to a contract solicitation obtained by the Sleuth.

Brown says he isn't sure when or if there will be a portrait hanging ceremony ....

[L. Coyote]

9. Obstinate meets stubborn, and a HUD head falls = $40 million in funding

Obstinate meets stubborn, and a HUD head falls
By Elmer Smith - Apr. 1, 2008 - Philadelphia Daily News Opinion Columnist

Obstinacy is will asserting itself without being able to justify itself.
- Swiss philosopher Henri Amiel -

AMIEL DIED 100 years before Alphonso Jackson willed himself into an early retirement. But you would have thought he knew the man.

Jackson, who steps down as the Bush administration's secretary of Housing and Urban Development on April 18, hastened his own dismissal by stubbornly sticking to a policy he couldn't justify.

The federal housing czar drew a line in the sand and refused to restore $40 million in funding to the Philadelphia Housing Authority, despite the intervention of two U.S. senators. Even with his pants ablaze, he refused the cooling waters of compromise.

U.S. Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey had fashioned a deal that would have let him retire at his leisure with his dignity ............