Thread: Investigation vindicates inspector general ~ Fired by Obama,

WATCHDOG MASSACRE

Investigation vindicates inspector general

Fired by Obama, Walpin says now he wants job back

Posted: November 12, 2009
12:30 am Eastern
© 2009 WorldNetDaily


Former Inspector General Gerald Walpin

A U.S. inspector general who was fired by President Barack Obama – after crossing the president politically – reports he's been cleared by an investigation and now he wants his job back.

WND reported earlier when Obama came under fire for allegedly canning Inspector General Gerald Walpin, who filed several reports on the alleged misappropriation of federal AmeriCorps funds by former basketball star Kevin Johnson, a prominent Obama supporter.

At the time, Walpin told WND, "I will tell you that [my firing] came only after we had issued those two reports to Congress, and I don't think that's a coincidence. I am convinced that I and my office are not guilty of any impropriety. In essence, I was fired for doing my job."

According to a report in the Sacramento Bee now, Walpin confirmed he's been cleared of claims he overstepped his authority in the investigation.

"It certainly is a vindication that I and my office – and it was mainly my office, the career staff – acted properly in connection with the investigation into St. HOPE," Walpin told the newspaper. "It takes away any basis belatedly set forth by the White House as a reason for my termination."

Walpin was inspector general for the Corporation for National and Community Service and dug into the use of federal money by St. HOPE and Johnson while Johnson was running for mayor in 2008.

The organization, founded by Johnson, runs schools, a development company and other outreaches, including an urban program. Johnson actively supervised its operations until stepping down to run in campaign for mayor.

Walpin's investigations alleged St. HOPE used federal money to run personal errands for Johnson and to improperly pay for salaries for school workers.

Lawrence G. Brown, the acting U.S. attorney at the time, reviewed Walpin's allegations and said there wasn't anything criminal, so he agreed to a settlement in the civil arena that involved repaying about $400,000 in AmeriCorps funding.

Walpin publicly criticized the result, saying the decision against criminal charges followed "political considerations" and Brown responded with claims Walpin overstepped his responsibilities.

An investigation was launched by the Council on the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, and Obama, not waiting for the results, fired Walpin. Obama explained Walpin was "confused" and "disoriented" but Walpin immediately appeared on television, including the Glenn Beck show on Fox, responding quickly, accurately and coherently to a long list of instructions and questions, undermining Obama's claim.

The Bee report also said federal officials have closed the investigation into St. HOPE without charges. The allegations were that those linked to the case deliberately deleted e-mails even though they knew they were being sought by investigators.

"We're pleased that the FBI has determined what we knew all along – that there was no intentional wrongdoing by the mayor or anyone at St. HOPE," mayoral spokesman Steve Maviglio told the newspaper.

WND later reported that Democrats in Congress proposed a plan to make several U.S. inspectors general currently appointed by federal agency heads presidential appointees instead.

An editorial published in the Washington Times blasted the plan to convert five more IGs to presidential picks:

"Such a move would undermine independent oversight of large parts of the federal bureaucracy," the editorial stated. "These changes would only serve to further politicize these positions."

The editorial added, "Now is not a wise time to remove independent review of the government leviathan."

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Inspector general fired to avoid embarrassing Obamas?

Report cites his dedication to investigating AmeriCorps

Posted: June 24, 2009
11:05 pm Eastern
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

A new report reveals that there is substantial evidence that Inspector General Gerald Walpin was fired from his post where he was investigating AmeriCorps funding to avoid embarrassment for President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.

The report is from Byron York at the Washington Examiner. On his blog, he wrote he interviewed a Republican member of the board for the Corporation for National and Community Service, the overseer for AmeriCorps, a favorite program for the Obamas.

The report said the board discussion was revolving around the St. HOPE program in California, which has been given hundreds of thousands of federal dollars and used it for, among other things, washing cars for Obama friend and Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson.

The board member told York Walpin opposed an agreement that would require a return of only part of the allegedly misused money and leave Johnson open to receiving more federal dollars.

"Walpin told board members at the meeting that he wanted to issue some sort of public statement to the effect that there should be more investigation of the St. HOPE matter," York reported.

"He said, 'I feel so strongly about this that today I am going to issue a statement to the press calling for further investigation,'" the member said, York reported. "The board members all caught that."

The report said that was distressing for the board because of AmeriCorps' high profile and the fact it was a favorite program for the Obamas and was in line to receive some of the $5.7 billion from the new Serve America Act.

"In the midst of that, here was the agency's inspector general saying he might re-open an investigation into an embarrassing episode involving hundreds of thousands of mis-spent dollars and a politically prominent supporter of the president," the report said.

"We did not need any press out there on this St. HOPE matter, which was already settled," the board member told York.

Ultimately the FBI was contacted and asked to look into the St. Hope scenario, and the White House issued a statement that Walpin was confused and disoriented at the meeting and that was why he was being dismissed.

"But there is no doubt that, whatever the other reasons, the board feared that a revival of a scandal they thought was in the past would be embarrassing to the newly-prominent AmeriCorps," the report said.

At Hot Air.com, the comment was that Walpin "was anything but confused and disoriented."

"It looks from this account that Walpin did his job too well for the CNCS and the Obama administration," said the report.

On the website's forum page, one participante said, "Walpin was confused. He forgot that things now work the Chicago way."

Walpin is asking for a hearing on his dismissal and as WND reported, Sen. Charles Grassley has demanded records on Walpin's job performance and any documents related to the Corporation's dealing with Johnson and related issues.

Also as WND reported, an FBI investigation has been launched into the St. HOPE affair, now that allegations have surfaced in the Sacramento Bee from Rick Maya, former executive director with St. HOPE, suggesting a member of the charter school's board had deleted e-mails from Johnson during the federal investigation.

"All of this suggests that the purported White House mistreatment of independent inspectors general is a scandal that might have real legs," writes an editorial in the Washington Times. "As well it should."

Radio host Rush Limbaugh further accused the administration of breaking the law by firing Walpin, attributing it to "political cronyism" and declaring, "Alberto Gonzales as attorney general fired a couple of U.S. attorneys. He took hell for it. This is bigger. Inspectors general are supposed to be completely above politics."

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