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Obama Fires Inspector General of Americorps

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posted on Jun, 12 2009 @ 10:23 AM
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Houston Chronicle


WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama plans to fire the inspector general who investigates AmeriCorps and other national service programs amid a controversy between the IG and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who is an Obama supporter and former NBA basketball star.

The IG, Gerald Walpin, was criticized by the U.S. attorney in Sacramento for the way he handled an investigation of Johnson and his nonprofit group, St. HOPE Academy, which received hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grants from the Corporation for National Community Service. The corporation runs the AmeriCorps program.

On Thursday, Obama said in a letter to Congress that he had lost confidence in Walpin. Neither the president nor deputy White House press secretary Josh Earnest would give details.


Further in the article we see Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, saying that Walpin had identified millions of dollars in AmeriCorps funds that were wasted or misspent and "it appears he has been doing a good job."

So Walpin identifies problems with a 'nonprofit' group that is run by an Obama supporter - a group that's been getting hundreds of thousands of dollars in fedearl grants - and suddenly Obama has 'lost confidence' and wants him out? This guy has uncovered waste, fraud, and abuse ... tons of it. He's done a fine job. Now, because he uncovers it with one of Obama's buddies ... the poor guy is going to be tossed out.

Yep ... Welcome to Chicago style politics now in the Obama White House. :shk:

Official CNCSOIG Audit Reports Website



posted on Jun, 12 2009 @ 10:39 AM
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I am afraid this is only the beginning....We will see more and more of this as this miserable excuse for a CINC forces his own values and ideals upon the American people......It is time for an impeachment movement!!!!!



posted on Jun, 12 2009 @ 02:33 PM
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Transparency? Change? Hope? Unity?


Looks like more of the same old 'tired washington politics' that
Obama looked down his nose at during the election cycle.



posted on Jun, 12 2009 @ 03:58 PM
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The Washington Times reporter that broke this added this at 1355 today:

UPDATE, 1:55 PM Friday:

There are a number of new developments since my post above was published. First, the White House is confirming that it decided to fire IG Walpin because of the Kevin Johnson/St. HOPE affair. In a letter sent Thursday night to Sen. Charles Grassley, White House counsel Gregory Craig cited a complaint lodged by the acting U.S. attorney in Sacramento, Lawrence Brown, accusing Walpin of misconduct in the St. Hope investigation. "The Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California, a career prosecutor who was appointed to his post during the Bush Administration, has referred Mr. Walpin’s conduct for review by the Integrity Committee of the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE)," Craig wrote. "We are aware of the circumstances leading to that referral and of Mr. Walpin’s conduct throughout his tenure and can assure you that that the President’s decision was carefully considered." This is the White House's first public statement of its reason for firing Walpin.

In the referral which Craig mentioned, which was sent April 29, Lawrence Brown accused Walpin of conducting a biased investigation and seeking "to act as the investigator, advocate, judge, jury and town crier." Brown was particularly angry that Walpin's office had talked with the press at various times in the St. HOPE investigation. Brown asked AmeriCorps to investigate Walpin's behavior. In a stinging response, Walpin wrote that several of Brown's points were flat-out wrong.

More importantly, Walpin's response sheds light on the process by which St. Hope will allegedly return to the government about half of the $850,000 grant it received from AmeriCorps. Walpin accused the U.S. attorney's office of undermining Walpin's attempt at "suspension and debarment" -- that is, from taking action that prevents an organization that has engaged in misconduct from receiving any other federal money.

According to Walpin, the U.S. attorney's office resisted efforts to get St. HOPE to repay the money. Even though AmeriCorps inspector general officials had found "six specific instances of diversion and misuse of [AmeriCorps] grant funds," and even though Kevin Johnson never "submitted a single fact to dispute those findings," the U.S. attorney, according to Walpin, insisted that the settlement agreement forbid suspension or debarment.

Further, according to Walpin, even with the settlement agreement as it now exists, there is little hope the government will ever get any of its money back. "As St. HOPE is insolvent, the absence of any obligation imposed on…[Kevin Johnson], and the absence of any guarantee or security to ensure payment, makes the settlement a farce," Walpin wrote.

"Mr. Brown knows," Walpin concluded, "that the settlement agreement was carefully drafted so that no obligation is imposed on Mr. Johnson to pay to [AmeriCorps] a single penny of the amount supposedly to be paid to [AmeriCorps] by St. HOPE."

Walpin's response has led congressional investigators to want to know more about Brown, the acting U.S. attorney. I referred to him earlier as a "Bush holdover." That's not entirely accurate. Brown is now the acting U.S. attorney, and he was in the office during the Bush years, but he is a career official, not a Bush appointee. In the days to come, congressional investigators will be weighing Brown's claims versus Walpin's. A lot is going on with the story, and it is happening very quickly.



posted on Jun, 12 2009 @ 05:06 PM
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I swear, it seems every day Obama is doing something that is opposite of what he said or did before he was POTUS. Has he been body-snatched or something? What the heck is up with him????

sandrarose.com...


It seems that an AmeriCorps inspector general received a missive from an Obama legal counsel last night ordering him to resign within the hour or be fired. There was only one small hitch: Obama’s legal goon was working outside of the law.

Obama himself co-signed the Inspectors General Reform Act prohibiting inspector generals from being harassed or fired in retaliation for doing their jobs. The measure also included a provision requiring the president to notify Congress “at least 30 days” before firing any IG.

Maybe Obama simply “forgot” about the provision — as he so often does — when he ordered the immediate firing of the IG — after business hours.


Inspector General Reform Act of 2008


(Sec. 2) Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to require Inspectors General (IGs) for designated federal entities to be appointed without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability in accounting, auditing, financial analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, or investigations.

(Sec. 3) Requires the President, the heads of designated federal entities, the Librarian of Congress, the Capitol Police Board, and the Public Printer to communicate to Congress in writing the reasons for removing or transferring an IG no later than 30 days before such removal or transfer.


Sponsors for this 2008 bill were:
 Sen. Daniel Akaka [D, HI]
 Sen. Thomas Carper [D, DE]
 Sen. Hillary Clinton [D, NY]
 Sen. Thomas Coburn [R, OK]
 Norm Coleman
 Sen. Susan Collins [R, ME]
 Sen. Charles Grassley [R, IA]
 Sen. Carl Levin [D, MI]
 Sen. Joseph Lieberman [I, CT]
* Barack Obama
 Ted Stevens

Although it doesn't seem that it ever passed the house and therefore is not law. I'll keep checking.

# Apr 24, 2008: Held at the desk.
# Apr 24, 2008: Received in the House.
# Apr 24, 2008: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
# Passed by Unanimous Consent in the Senate on Apr 23, 2008. Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
# Apr 23, 2008: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.



posted on Jun, 12 2009 @ 05:27 PM
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Originally posted by Iamonlyhuman
Has he been body-snatched or something?

The signs were all there before the election. But everyone had drank the koolaide and were all hyped up so much that they didn't see what was coming. But honestly .. he's even worse than I had imagined.



posted on Jun, 12 2009 @ 10:58 PM
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Don't you know?

"Thou shalt not cross the Obama"

The eleventh commandment.



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 06:02 AM
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More 'change' ... this time it's change from Obama on why he fired the IG -

story here


WASHINGTON -- Responding to criticism from a Senate Democratic ally, President Obama explained why he fired the Inspector General of the AmeriCorps without the 30-day notification required by law, calling Gerald Walpin so "confused" and "disoriented" that there was reason to question "his capacity to serve."


1 - I don't believe it. If it were true this would have been said previously instead of the other excuses.

2 - There is no reason to question 'his capacity to serve' since he was doing an outstanding job.

3 - IF it were true, then it would be a medical problem requiring medical/mental health help and not something that you would fire someone for.


Obama voted for the legislation requiring specific notification to Congress of the reasons to dismiss an inspector general. Any move to fire an inspector general requires 30-days notice. Obama voted for the law to strengthen the independence of inspectors general


Obama broke the law that he voted for.

Looks like Obama thinks now that he's POTUS he doesn't have to follow the law. Remind you of anyone?


[edit on 6/17/2009 by FlyersFan]



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 07:16 AM
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reply to post by FlyersFan
 

Excellent point. I saw an interview with Walpin the other day on Fox and Obama's description of him is an insult to Walpin and to the intelligence of those who can smell Barry's BS. I smell a lawsuit in the works.

Walpin was investigating at the request of Americorps. It is no secret that Johnson and Obama are rather tight buddies and the Obama double standard is mind numbing. Sadly, Barry's minions will believe anything that comes out of his mouth.

Fortunately, Walpin will not go away quietly and I hope that the lid is blown off of this massive Pandora's box.



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 09:22 AM
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Compare this with the time when Alberto Gonzales legally fired those US Attorneys. It led to his ouster.

Double standar, anyone?



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 09:27 AM
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And. . . anybody knows with who or now whom he will replace that position.

We all know that Obama is increasing government to a point never seen in history.

It also seems that he is fond of creating offices rather than one office.

Look at his new Financial Reform Plan he seems to be on a merry go around of offices creation, not one but many.


He is all for economy stimulus but wants to keep creating money to pay for his government growth.



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 09:31 AM
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reply to post by marg6043
 


Agreed, marg. The only ones hiring these days are the federal gov't. And there are too many 'Czars', for cripes sake.

Too many chiefs and not enough indians!



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 09:36 AM
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reply to post by jsobecky
 


This getting ridiculous, I tell you we are looking at the biggest fiscal irresponsibility in our time.

In times of economic crisis and lost of jobs the last thing a president is to do is make government bigger, is serves no purpose when the deficit keeps growing.

Right now the figures are misguided, the 11.4 trillion deficit is actually a whooping 100 trillion when you add the projects that are already within the yearly fiscal budget.

The government is been very deceiving about numbers.



[edit on 17-6-2009 by marg6043]



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 09:43 AM
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reply to post by marg6043
 



Right now the figures are misguided, the 11.4 trillion deficit is actually a whooping 100 trillion when you add the projects that are already withing the yearly fiscal budget.


I know... I read your thread on that.

He needs to go, and right quick, imo. He disregards the law. He thinks he is king.



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 09:45 AM
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reply to post by jsobecky
 


In my views he will be a one time president but by the time he his reign is over this nation will never be able to recuperate from his mistakes.



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 11:25 AM
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Originally posted by marg6043
In my views he will be a one time president ...

From your lips to Gods ears. Hopefully America will be done with the kool-aid high by the time the 2012 election rolls around. It's going to take a very long time to recover from this mess. Especially Bush's last two years and Obama's four.

AND THE BORDERS ARE STILL WIDE OPEN

Considering that along with what is going on in the Obama Administration, I don't know if the USA will be alive much longer. Seriously.



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 11:53 AM
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Fired IG calls White House Explanation - baseless

Oh .. this is going to be good!


As I said .. there is no evidence to support what Obama claimed. In fact, the evidence says just the opposite. Also, it if had gone down like Obama said, then the guy would need MEDICAL HELP. It wouldn't be something you fire someone for.

How long until Obama's minions plant some 'evidence'???



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 11:56 AM
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Too bad the main stream media is too busy reporting on the supposed collapse of the Republican party to pay attention to Obama's blatant political cronyism and abuse of power.



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 12:16 PM
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reply to post by jjkenobi
 


I am watching the unveiling of the financial reform incredible now the fed is in charge of the anything that has to do with the markets and money making institutions in the nation.



What Bush could not accomplish Obama just will do it.
no question ask.

One more for the powers behind the Fed.

Plus more agencies to make sure that the fed have complete control.



posted on Jun, 17 2009 @ 12:45 PM
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reply to post by marg6043
 


This is all part of the job creation that Barry was boasting about. Sadly all of the jobs will be in the government regulatory realm. All of the former Wall Streeters and DC cronies have to work somewhere. Obama and his band of merry progressive liberals had these Wall Street thugs in their back pockets and now they will just give them a steady fat paycheck and some job security for the next several years.

What a hoot. These guys will be governing their former employers and co-workers.



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