Mired In Scandal

A Series Of Recent Scandals Further Highlights Obama’s Inability To Change Washington

“[A]dministration Officials Have Been In Damage Control Mode, Working Reporters And Editors Who Want To Bundle Disparate Events Into A Single Unflattering Obama Scandal Narrative.” (Byron Tau and Glenn Thrush, “Obama Scandal Forecast: Slightly Hazy,” Politico, 4/19/12)

AT CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS THIS WEEK, A TOP GSA OFFICIAL PLED THE FIFTH AS MORE RECKLESS SPENDING CAME TO LIGHT

The General Services Administration’s 2010 Western Region Conference In Las Vegas “Made Headlines When An Inspector General Report Found A Pattern Of Excessive Spending, Waste, And Possible Fraud On The Pricey, Taxpayer-Funded Las Vegas Conference.” “The conference made headlines this week when an Inspector General report found a pattern of excessive spending, waste and possible fraud on the pricey, taxpayer-funded Las Vegas conference, where organizers went out of their way to organize a lavish, over-the-top celebration that included a mindreader, a clown, fancy food, and several ‘trial runs’ by GSA employees.” (Byron Tau, “Videos Of $800K GSA Conference Surface,”Politico, 4/7/12)

• “[T]he Scandal Will Be A Hard One To Shake For A White House That Launched A Crusade Last Year Against Government Waste.” (Byron Tau and Glenn Thrush, “Obama Scandal Forecast: Slightly Hazy,” Politico, 4/19/12)

This Week At A House Oversight And Government Committee Hearing, The GSA Official Who Planned The Conference, Jeff Neely, Pled The Fifth To Avoid Incriminating Himself. “A top General Services Administration official who was in charge of organizing a lavish Las Vegas conference that’s drawn congressional and taxpayer fire repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination Monday on Capitol Hill. During Monday’s hearing, Jeff Neely, refused to answer several questions from House Oversight and Government Committee chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), including rudimentary questions such as his official title at GSA and whether he was currently employed at the agency.” (Seung Min Kim, “GSA Official Pleads Fifth In Conference Scandal,” Politico, 4/16/12)

• Click To Watch Neely Plead The Fifth

On Top Of The Conference, Neely “ Spent Thousands Of Taxpayer Dollars On A Variety Of Wasteful Trips And Events. ” “The General Services Administration executive who organized an $822,000 conference in Las Vegas in 2010 also spent thousands of taxpayer dollars on a variety of wasteful trips and events, according to lawmakers and GSA’s top investigator.” (Andy Medici, “Inspector General: GSA Official’s Waste Part Of Pattern,”USA Today, 4/17/12)

• Neely’s Wife Accompanied Him On Lavish Trips As Taxpayers “Picked Up The Tab.” “The senior government executive who organized the lavish Las Vegas conference at the center of a General Services Administration spending scandal took dozens of trips for the agency. The boss’s wife accompanied him on some of them — and taxpayers picked up the tab. Deborah Neely wasn’t always just sharing husband Jeffrey E. Neely’s hotel rooms at resorts from Las Vegas to the Pacific islands. She handled party arrangements, directed event planners to spend government money and arranged lodging for relatives on the GSA trip to Las Vegas in 2010, an unusual role revealed in transcripts of interviews that the agency’s inspector general’s office conducted with Jeffrey Neely, as well as in congressional hearings.” (Lisa Rein, “GSA Official’s Wife Accompanied Him On Trips At Taxpayer Expense,” The Washington Post , 4/17/12)

• ABC News: “Cheers! Photos Show Embattled GSA Official Enjoying Wine And Soak In Spa Tub At M Hotel During ‘Pre-Conference’ Meeting” (Jake Tapper, “Cheers! Photos Show Embattled GSA Official Enjoying Wine and Soak in Spa Tub at M Hotel During ‘Pre-Conference’ Meeting,” ABC News’ Political Punch , 4/12/16)

The Detroit News : “It Has Become Apparent In Recent Days That The GSA Has Gone A Bit Wild. … The Episode Reveals An Agency Whose Culture Had Veered Out Of Control.” (Editorial, “GSA’s Vegas Vacation May Reveal Wider Abuse,” The Detroit News, 4/19/12)

Leading Democrats Slammed Obama’s GSA

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) Called The GSA Scandal “Absolutely Outrageous.” “Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) called the excessive spending scandal at the General Services Administration ‘absolutely outrageous.’ (Vickie Needham, “Durbin: Spending At GSA Conference ‘Absolutely Outrageous,’” The Hill, 4/8/12)

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) Criticized Neely For Funding His “Lavish Lifestyle” As “Agency Royalty” With Taxpayer Money. “Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) ripped Neely and his wife Deb – who documents show was involved in some of the planning for the conference – for living like ‘agency royalty’ who funded their ‘lavish lifestyle’ at the taxpayers’ expense.” (Seung Min Kim, “GSA Official Pleads Fifth In Conference Scandal,” Politico, 4/16/12)

Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC): “This Is An Agency Whose Structure Makes No Sense.” “For example, the panel heard that the GSA’s chief financial officer lacked direct oversight of spending by the agency’s regional structures. It also learned that Neely reported to two supervisors at the time of his alleged misconduct — one of them himself, as Neely was holding the post on an interim basis. ‘This is an agency whose structure makes no sense,’ said the committee’s ranking Democrat, Eleanor Holmes Norton, the delegate to Congress from the District of Columbia.” (Tom Cohen, “Who’s On first? Hearing shows GSA’s Dysfunction,” CNN, 4/17/12)

DEMOCRATS’ SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS “THREATEN TO DISTRACT” FROM OBAMA’S UPCOMING TRIP TO NORTH CAROLINA

Obama’s Planned Trip Next Tuesday “Comes As A Controversy Envelopes The N.C. Democratic Party Amid Allegations Of Sexual Harassment And A Secret Settlement Agreement With A Former Staffer.” “His trip comes as a controversy envelopes the N.C. Democratic Party amid allegations of sexual harassment and a secret settlement agreement with a former staffer. The party’s top leaders have called for Chairman David Parker to resign. The executive director left the party Sunday.” (“President Obama To Visit Raleigh Area Next Week,” Charlotte News & Observer Blog , 4/18/11)

Allegations By A Former State Democrat Party Staffer Of Being Fired For “Complaints Of Sexual Harassment” Has Led To The Resignation Of The State Party’s Executive Director And Widespread Calls For Party Chairman David Walker To Resign. “A former staffer accused the state Democratic Party’s executive director of showing him a picture of male genitals, caressing his leg and discussing his sexual exploits, according to new documents obtained by The News & Observer. The sexual harassment allegations are detailed in a Dec. 8 letter from Adriadn Ortega, a former party staffer, to then-Executive Director Jay Parmley. Ortega claimed he was ‘fired in retaliation for my complaints of sexual harassment’ and asked for a severance equal to his annual pay and health care coverage for a year. His allegations match those detailed in a complaint filed Jan. 31 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission obtained by The N&O. The EEOC complaint stated that Ortega tracked the alleged harassment in a notebook. Ortega, 26, did not respond to questions. Parmley, 41, could not be reached for comment. He resigned Sunday but denied harassing any employee. He blamed political reasons for his departure. The letter became public minutes after party Chairman David Parker refused to resign under pressure from party leaders, including Gov. Bev Perdue, who asked him to step aside ‘for the good of the party.’” (John Frank, “Letter Details Sexual Harassment Claims At N.C. Democratic Party,” Charlotte News & Observer, 4/18/12)

But Parker “Isn’t Stepping Down From His Position Despite Calls From Top Democrats For Him To Go.” “The chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party isn’t stepping down from his position despite calls from top Democrats for him to go. In an email sent out just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, David Parker said he spoke with the party’s executive council and was supported.” ( WTVD, 4/18/12)

• And The Obama Campaign Intervened To Delay Parker’s Resignation Amid The Firestorm. “But Obama’s deputies have gambled that it won’t become a major story, and have intervened to delay Parkers’ resignation until after the May 8 state convention, said the insider. Obama’s deputies want Parker to stay until the new Democratic nominees for the races for governor and lieutenant governor races can accept his resignation and help select a replacement, the person added. The replacement will be approved by Obama’s deputies, whose state organization is larger and better funded than the local Democratic Party, according to the party insider.” (Neil Munro, “NC Sexual Harassment Scandal Reaches Obama Campaign,” The Daily Caller, 4/17/12)

The Scandal Threatens “To Distract From President Obama’s Visit Early Next Week To North Carolina’s Research Triangle.” “The shove from Washington comes as the harassment charges engulf the state party and threaten to distract from President Obama’s visit early next week to North Carolina’s Research Triangle.  North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue, after initially sidestepping questions about Parker, called on the chairman to resign Tuesday.” (Jonathan Martin, “National Democrats Prepping To Shove North Carolina Party Chair Amid Scandal,” Politico, 4/18/12)

The Story Leaves Democrats Facing “An Embarrassing Story In Their Host Convention State…” “National Democrats, attempting to head off an embarrassing story in their host convention state, are preparing to push out the embattled North Carolina Democratic Chairman in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal involving the state party’s former executive director.” (Jonathan Martin, “National Democrats Prepping To Shove North Carolina Party Chair Amid Scandal,” Politico, 4/18/12)

AS OBAMA ADVOCATES DEEP CUTS TO THE MILITARY, HIS DEFENSE SECRETARY IS TAKING $32,000 FLIGHTS HOME ON WEEKENDS

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta Cost The Pentagon As Much As $860,000, About $32,000 Every Trip, As He Commutes Home For The Weekend Using A Military Gulfstream Jet. “Before accepting the job as defense secretary, Mr. Panetta negotiated his right to commute home to California nearly every weekend using a military equivalent of a Gulfstream jet, as his job as Pentagon chief requires him to do. The trips cost the government as much as $860,000, and Mr. Panetta paid about $630 per trip for a roundtrip flight that costs the Pentagon about $32,000, defense officials told the Associated Press.” (Susan Crabtree, “Panetta Paid $17k For $860K Commute To California,” The Washington Times, 4/6/12)

As The Pentagon Advocated For Deep Cuts In The Defense Budget, Mr. Panetta Was “Cross-Country Commuting” Even Though “The President Singled Out Travel As An Area Ripe For Savings.” “Mr. Panetta’s cross-country commuting was first reported by the Los Angeles Times in September, although that report did not detail the extent of the trips. The expenses involved with the commute drew another look after President Obama issued marching orders in November calling for all Cabinet agencies to cut back on everything — from out-of-town conferences to cellphone use and officials gifts such as pencils and mugs. The president singled out travel as an area ripe for savings.” (Susan Crabtree, “Panetta Paid $17k For $860K Commute To California,” The Washington Times, 4/6/12)

The Dubuque Telegraph Herald : “When Defense Secretary Leon Panetta Looks For Ways To Cut The Pentagon’s Proposed $614 Billion Budget, He Might Start By Examining His Own Expense Account.” (Editorial, Feds Should Look At Travel Expenses,”Telegraph Herald, 4/9/12)

 “SECRET SERVICE PROSTITUTION SCANDAL IS GIVING HEADACHES TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION”

Politico : “Senior Administration Officials Begin Interactions With Reporters These Days By Saying They Won’t Answer Questions About The Secret Service…” “Senior administration officials begin interactions with reporters these days by saying they won’t answer questions about the Secret Service — a story that is more alluring for reporter but ultimately less dangerous for Obama.” (Byron Tau and Glenn Thrush, “Obama Scandal Forecast: Slightly Hazy,” Politico, 4/19/12)

The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal Threatened To Eclipse Obama’s “Charm Offensive To Latin America.” “A prostitution scandal involving U.S. security personnel in Colombia and an unprecedented regional push to end the isolation of Cuba threatened on Saturday to eclipse President Barack Obama’s charm offensive to Latin America.” (Andrew Cawthorne and Brian Ellsworth, “Scandal Mars Obama’s Wooing Of Latin America,” Reuters, 4/17/12)

 “As If The General Services Administration Flap Wasn’t Bad Enough — An $820,000 Conference/Party In Las Vegas — Now The Secret Service Prostitution Scandal Is Giving Headaches To The Obama Administration.” (David Jackson, “Obama Grapples With Secret Service, GSA Scandles,” USA Today , 4/18/12)

Scandal “Generating The Kinds Of Questions That No Administration Wants To Answer This Close To A Re-Election Bid.” “Neither Obama nor his top aides have been implicated, but both of those stories are generating the kinds of questions that no administration wants to answer this close to a re-election bid.”(David Jackson, “Obama Grapples With Secret Service, GSA Scandles,” USA Today , 4/18/12)