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Staffers Call for Special Probe of Watchdog
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ShareMay 14, 2007 10:57 AM
A group of anonymous employees are asking President Bush to fire their boss, the top watchdog at the Commerce Department, and opt for a special counsel to investigate him.
Commerce Inspector General Johnnie E. Frazier is already being investigated by a congressional committee, the Office of Special Counsel and the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE), for charges ranging from retaliation against subordinates to fraud, contract abuse and wasteful spending. Frazier's job is ferreting out waste, fraud and abuse at the Commerce Department.
"Johnnie E. Frazier should be dismissed...in order to conduct an effective, 'independent' investigation," states the letter to Bush, which was written on official stationery bearing the logo of the Commerce Department Inspector General's Office.
THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS
The May 10 letter also calls for the president to put Frazier's senior aides on administrative leave, alleging they have conspired with Frazier to obstruct justice and retaliate against employees who have cooperated with investigators.
Frazier, a career government investigator, was appointed to his current post by former President Bill Clinton in 1999.
A copy of the letter was also sent to Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. On Friday, Dingell's panel wrote Frazier to ask he leave his employees alone and to remind his senior aides to do the same.
"The Committee requests that you immediately remind all managers within your office that...it is a violation of Federal law to interfere with a Congressional inquiry," the panel wrote and reiterated its call for Frazier to suspend all terminations, new hiring, promotions or transfers until after its investigation is complete.
Frazier's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. When news of investigations into Frazier surfaced two weeks ago, his office released a statement which said it was "cooperating fully" with investigators.
Frazier is one of four sitting inspectors general who have faced investigations of his conduct in recent months. Others include NASA Inspector General Robert W. "Moose" Cobb, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen and Environmental Protection Agency Acting Inspector General Bill Roderick. Bowen has denied the charges against him, made by former employees; neither Cobb nor Roderick have commented publicly on the probes they have faced.
May 14, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (9)
I would ask that, as part of the inquriy into the IG, there be a public review of the Statement on Accounting Standards 99, and an assessment by which the indicators of fraud in SAS99 were or were not timely reported to senior officials in Commerce. Also, under the Congressional notification rules, there needs to be an understanding of when the Congress was informed in writing that certain audit and other legal requirements were not going to be enforced by the Attorney General under Title 28.
This touches not only Commerce, but also Justice -- meaning a multi-agency problem, and the common problem is the President: The man who blocked DOJ OPR from reviewing the NSA. Seeing the pattern? Time for the States to prosecute a sitting President oustide the impeachment process: Talk to Jonathan Turley at Georgetown how this is done.
Posted by: Anon | May 14, 2007 1:37:09 PM
Bush cronies helping themselves at our expense? Shocking. What else is new.
Time for the States to prosecute a sitting President oustide the impeachment process, boy I'll say so, way past time.
Posted by: jade | May 14, 2007 2:21:52 PM
Jade, would you PLEASE read the article. "Frazier, a career government investigator, was appointed to his current post by former President Bill Clinton in 1999."
Stop with your incessant Bush-Bashing when the idiot was appointed by another idiot....a Democrat idiot....sorry for repeating myself...Democrat = idot, huh?
A little matmatical formula here:
Power * greed * money hunger = Democrat
Class Dismissed!!!
Posted by: nabi | May 14, 2007 3:14:53 PM
Nabi, it's you who needs the attitude adjustment, and it's pretty clear that you are NO mathematician. Anything built on flawed logic as your statement is bound to be incorrect. And you are. Let'ws examine it., shall we? Who HAS the money in this country? It's certainly NOT the dems, is it? Who is it that has done more to destroy the constitution of this country, with it's leader going so far as to call it a "Goddamned scrap of paper"? Who was it that has given us multi TRILLION dollar deficits not once, but TWICE? Who is it that has removed more of our rights from us than we have ever lost at any other time in our history?
You are a fool. You have one party that is wholly devoted to your destruction as a free willed human being, and THEY are who YOU stand up for. I pity you and your inability to add two and two together and come up with an even number, let alone four. I feel very sorry for you, and even moreso for my country, that has spawned a whole generation of people that they purposely taught NOT to think.
And who did that? I'll give you a hint: They always have an R behind their name. And the main one to start it was an Alzheimer riddled idiot named Reagan.
Posted by: WJM | May 14, 2007 3:53:16 PM
At bottom, both of the major parties are rife with criminals. I have no use for either one.
In my lifetime, there have been nine politicians I trust implicitly. Actually about as many Democrats as Republicans.
Oh, by the way, they're all deceased. But being deceased doesn't mean they can be trusted. I remain fearful that Lyndon Johnson will return as an angel of Satan.
And I KNOW Richard Nixon will.
Mike
Posted by: Mike | May 14, 2007 4:51:01 PM
He already has in a dumb-downed, down home, Texas revision known as GW Bush. Problem is the American public are also a dumb-downed, apathetic version of the citizen-activists of the '60's.
Posted by: Wanderlust | May 15, 2007 2:26:16 AM
Just look at today's list of investigations and probes being added to past indictments of those in the Bush's adminis. and ask yourself what kind of thieves and incompetant hacks this president has appointed at our expense , bilking taxpayers of monies while attempting to ensure this administrations hold on power. Can we really allow this man any further input into who should uphold our laws and protect its people and thier hard fought liberties?
Posted by: B. Rollens | May 16, 2007 1:58:31 PM
You just hang out here and bash Bush? Somebody needs a life.
Posted by: Linda | May 16, 2007 7:12:53 PM
Lets see, now we have another Clinton appointee in question. I believe there is another one out hyping a book who was appointed by Clinton. Does "slam dunk" sound right. Investigations into claims made by folks that are down the chain of command, are needed, however, should not we wait until those investigations have been concluded before we pass judgement?? Anonymous folks always bothers me. Anyone can make claims that are not necessarily truthful. Career employees can have their own political agenda.
Posted by: Homjett | May 20, 2007 9:58:31 AM
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