EXCLUSIVE: Agency Report Shows Secretary Personally Blocked Contracts To Democrats
EXCLUSIVE: Agency Report Shows Secretary Personally Blocked Contracts To Democrats
In April, Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson told a group of real estate officials that he once canceled a government contract because the contractor was critical of President Bush. Awarding contracts based on political leanings “violates federal law.” Jackson is a “longtime Bush friend” and former neighbor in Dallas, Texas.
The Inspector General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development has conducted a detailed investigation and produced a 340-page report detailing his findings. The agency has given a copy to Jackson, but refused to release the report to the public.
ThinkProgress has obtained the executive summary. Here are some key excerpts:
– “During the investigation, Secretary JACKSON’s Chief of Staff, as well as the HUD Deputy Secretary testified that, in a senior staff meeting, JACKSON had advised senior staff, to the effect, that when considering discretionary contracts, they should be considering supporters of the President, language consistent with the remarks made by JACKSON in Dallas, Texas, on April 28, 2006.”
– “Investigation did disclose some problematic instances involving HUD contacts and cooperative agreement grants, in particular, the cooperative agreement award issued to Abt Associates…was blocked for a significant period of time due to Secretary JACKSON’s involvement and opposition to Abt. Secretary JACKSON’s Chief of Staff testified that one factor in JACKSON’s opposition to Abt was Abt’s political affiliation.”
– “Secretary JACKSON’s Chief of Staff also identified other instances of Secretary JACKSON intervening with contractors whom he did not like. Reviews of political contributions indicated these contractors had Democratic political affiliations.“
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) have already called on Jackson to resign immediately. The White House yesterday gave him “a tepid vote of confidence.”
We’ve posted the full text of the report’s executive summary HERE.
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Typical Republican scumbag.
September 22nd, 2006 at 10:31 amIs he in Jail yet?
September 22nd, 2006 at 10:37 amdidn't he already admit to doing this a few months back at a speaking egagement?
September 22nd, 2006 at 10:48 amMore evidence Bush's America is actually 2 Americas.
September 22nd, 2006 at 10:52 amIs he in jail yet?
September 22nd, 2006 at 10:53 amWho is going to be the first to get a Freedom of Information Act law suite into Court so we can see the full report?
September 22nd, 2006 at 10:56 amLets make this diggable!
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:02 amLet's make this diggable!
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:02 amSounds like someone who would be a star in my country...Alphonso, hit me up on the cellie....
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September 22nd, 2006 at 11:03 amMethinks someone should be in line for a Medal of Freedom soon.
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:07 amAnd we STILL hear about the Clinton "Travelgate" "scandal". Jesus H. Christ on a motorbike.
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:12 amIOKIYAR
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:17 amNice work, TP!
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:34 amThe 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.
The investigation found "no evidence that a contract was canceled, rescinded, terminated or not issued as a result of the encounter between Secretary Jackson and the contractor," the report says.
In other words, no evidence that laws were broken. Next!
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:37 amExley, your conclusions are premature as no one of us has seen the full report yet. Your conclusions are also contradicted by what we have seen of the report.
Oh, I just talked to your wife. She said that this isn't the only thing that you are premature with regularly. I told her how sorry I was about that. Seek help guy.
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:46 amExley you stupid F@ck. The quoted contained in your own first paragraph are an unambiguous violation of federal law. Now please go shoot yourself in the head so we can remove your defective genes from the future of the human race.
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:50 amIf he was a democrat, everybody would be screaming for his head. Since he's not, they're trying to sweep it under the rug: "Sure, he may have done it repeatedly, but that doesn't mean there's a pattern..."
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:53 amHeh! Ejaculation humor, Kindness???? What are you? 14 years old?
Anyway, letme get this straight, MY conclusions are premature (snicker) but ThinkProgress', Lautenberg's, and Waxman's conclusions and calls for resignation are NOT premature (snicker)????
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:58 amThe investigation found “no evidence that a contract was canceled, rescinded, terminated or not issued as a result of the encounter between Secretary Jackson and the contractor,†the report says.
Pardon me, but even I can tell that this brief snippet speaks to just one contractor in particular and does not pertain to what Jackson may or may not have done concerning other contractors. If you're gonna parse, at least TRY to make it look like the parsing supports your argument.
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:59 amOn a related topic, could someone explain why we have a federal Department of Housing and Urban Development in the first place???? A worthless, wasteful department that should be dismantled immediately.
September 22nd, 2006 at 12:01 pm#4. No, not the travel office issue. They'll bring up the blow jobs Bill received and then they will pontificate on how immoral Democrats are. Just watch.
September 22nd, 2006 at 12:01 pmFor more background on Jackson and the conversion of the Bush Cabinet into a taxpayer-funded appendage of the GOP, see:
"The Bush Cabinet's Cult of Personality"
September 22nd, 2006 at 12:07 pm#2, no not in jail yet, but he will be recieving his medal of freedom soon.
#3 He admitted it, then tried to play off his admission as a parable. But I think his admission led to this investigation/report.
September 22nd, 2006 at 12:11 pmJuvinle? Certainly. Humorous? I thought so.
You are still a lying sack of shit and need to seek help.
September 22nd, 2006 at 12:17 pm#21 Exley
On a related topic, could someone explain why we have a federal Department of Housing and Urban Development in the first place???? A worthless, wasteful department that should be dismantled immediately.
Why? Apart from Bush cronies currently running it, what leads you to call it worthless and wasteful?
September 22nd, 2006 at 12:21 pm#25, Kindness,
Humorous? It wasn't bad...
Now, how about answering my question from posting #19?
September 22nd, 2006 at 12:34 pm[...] [...] Today’s news looks much worse [link]. [...]
September 22nd, 2006 at 12:42 pmsome may want to overcompensate and only hire democrats for the next go round of largess, others will cry reverse discrimination if it is done, and the divide will continue, and so will the deficit
what do we want ?? debu'ushification !!
September 22nd, 2006 at 12:49 pmwhen do we want it ?? now !!
[...] needs to be fired. I think that person goes by “Mr. Secretary.” | Permanent LinkCategories:FrontPage [...]
September 22nd, 2006 at 1:07 pmI am actually shocked right now. Shocked that the immediate Republican response was not "We need an investigation to see who leaked this sumamry"
September 22nd, 2006 at 1:19 pmThe 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.
The investigation found “no evidence that a contract was canceled, rescinded, terminated or not issued as a result of the encounter between Secretary Jackson and the contractor,†the report says.
In other words, no evidence that laws were broken. Next!
Comment by Exley
I guess you don't realize that you contradicted yourself. Damn weak effort Exley, what's the matter, got a cold?
September 22nd, 2006 at 1:43 pmExley - I'm older than you. I came of age in the 70's.
Doesn't mean I'm not a punk still on occasion. & you got one today.
Please don't take offense as I only meant it as a throwaway line.
But you and I do still disagree on this threads subject matter.
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:05 pmComment by Exley — September 22, 2006 @ 11:58 am
According to two senior HUD officials, at a staff meeting this year "Jackson had advised . . . that when considering discretionary contracts, they should be considering supporters of the president," the report says.
"I don't recall doing that. They might have misconstrued it," the report quoted Jackson as saying.
There's a straight shooter if I ever saw one.
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:39 pm"...Jackson is a “longtime Bush friend†and former neighbor in Dallas, Texas...?
Former neighbor in the exclusive subdivision that had (and perhaps still has) covenants prohibiting Jews, Blacks, and other minorities. They claimed those covenants were not enforced, but no one made a move to strike them from the books.
Interesting how they still have a propensity to exclude....
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:41 pm#33....No problem, kindness. Like I said, I found it humorous.
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:46 pm[...] Think Progress - EXCLUSIVE: Agency Report Shows Secretary Personally Blocked Contracts To Democrats [...]
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:53 pm[...] Time for the Republican culture of corruption to stop. This man needs to resign. (And of course, get a medal.) ThinkProgress has the leaked Inspector General report from HUD, it’s bad: In April, Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson told a group of real estate officials that he once canceled a government contract because the contractor was critical of President Bush. Awarding contracts based on political leanings “violates federal law.†Jackson is a “longtime Bush friend†and former neighbor in Dallas, Texas. [...]
September 22nd, 2006 at 3:05 pm[...] You’d think that living in a banana republic, we’d get more bananas. Mmmm… fruit. In April, Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson told a group of real estate officials that he once canceled a government contract because the contractor was critical of President Bush. Awarding contracts based on political leanings “violates federal law.†Jackson is a “longtime Bush friend†and former neighbor in Dallas, Texas. [...]
September 22nd, 2006 at 3:23 pmHUD for sale. Send your checks and money orders to the RNC. Receive your contracts around back. NEXT!
September 22nd, 2006 at 4:01 pmOn a related topic, could someone explain why we have a federal Department of Housing and Urban Development in the first place???? A worthless, wasteful department that should be dismantled immediately.
Comment by Exley — September 22, 2006 @ 12:01 pm
September 22nd, 2006 at 4:09 pm=====================================
So poor people don't have to slaughter rich people to get better housing.
test
September 22nd, 2006 at 4:10 pmPut him up against the wall!
September 22nd, 2006 at 6:30 pmHave I lost hope, because I get the feeling the rethugs have such a tight hold over the powers that be that nothing is going to change? I think it's probably like being strangled knowing that you're about to die and are absolutely unable to do anything about it!! This beautiful America that we thought would never end is in the last throws of democracy.
September 22nd, 2006 at 7:43 pmThat Uncle Tom is worse than Ken Blackwell. And we can't vote his sorry ass out in November.
September 22nd, 2006 at 10:17 pm#45 As a descendent of Harriet Beecher Stowe I fully approve of your message.
September 22nd, 2006 at 10:39 pm[...] Nat/Intl • How’s your French? Paper says Oussama Ben Laden serait mort • Latest from Cronyville, USA: Dept. of Education and HUD chief personally blocking contracts • FDA: Not so much cronyism as it is just plain incompetence • Amazing feat: Book emerges from one of the world’s largest assholes • Shocker: Rich get richer [...]
September 23rd, 2006 at 10:01 am[...] Ah, Fall. Meanwhile, • How’s your French? Paper says Oussama Ben Laden serait mort • Latest from Cronyville, USA: Dept. of Education and HUD chief personally blocking contracts • FDA: Not so much cronyism as it is just plain incompetence • Amazing feat: Book emerges from one of the world’s largest assholes • Shocker: Rich get richer [...]
September 23rd, 2006 at 10:02 amWhat would be nice, would be that the media will actually run this story.
September 23rd, 2006 at 11:52 amI think it may only be available to those who blog?
Do you mean the senators and presidents out there,.. politicians as they call themselves, are out there only for personal gain or to help their buddies as and not for the greater good? I'd be in shock and awe were it not that I had already seen every politician I know lie to the people that got them their job in the first place.
September 24th, 2006 at 8:45 amIgnorance. Comments based simply on hatred. Complete lack of knowledge in regard to the US Dept of HUD. Taking personal shots at a person who posts something against the grain here. This is a small sample of why the Republicans are winning and the left is whining. Formulate a real plan & position, not just a continual bitchfest. Are there any true leaders left in the left? Attacking is not leading. Get it together before it's too late. Sad.
September 27th, 2006 at 7:46 amPlease attack this post and prove my point.