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Waxman Calls GSA Chief Back for Encore
General Services Administration chief Lurita Doan was such a hit in her hearing with the House oversight committee last time around, Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) wants her back. You can read Waxman's letter to Doan here (pdf).
Waxman wants to know if Doan tried to smear agency employees who testified against her in an investigation by the Office of Special Counsel. All the employees who were witnesses, she told investigators, were biased against her -- they were poor performers who "will not be getting promoted and they will not be getting bonuses or special awards or anything of that nature."
The Office of Special Counsel recently concluded its investigation of Doan and found that she'd violated the Hatch Act, a finding which could lead to her termination. On January 26th, Karl Rove's deputy Scott Jennings gave a presentation at GSA headquarters about Republican political prospects. According to several witnesses, Doan asked "How can we help our candidates" at the conclusion of the presentation. After some participants offered suggestions, Jennings asked that the session be taken "off-line." It's against the law to use federal resources for political ends.
Now, Doan has testified that she doesn't remember ever saying anything about "helping our candidates." And she apparently tried very hard to convince investigators that all those witnesses were disgruntled. "There's not a single one of those who did not have somewhere in between a poor to totally inferior performance."
Except that wasn't true, investigators found. So Waxman wants to know why she'd say such a thing. The hearing is scheduled for June 7.
Smearing employees who don't toe the line seems to be something of a hobby with the Bush administration, Waxman notes:
Over the past five months, it's become clear that the Justice Department falsely raised issues about the competence of the eight U.S. Attorneys who were dismissed last December. That tactic has been condemned across our country and by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. It would be remarkable if you adopted that same tactic in trying to discredit GSA employees who cooperated with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Office of Special Counsel.
Comments (33)
Steve5117 wrote on May 24, 2007 6:46 PM:WaPo says
"The Doan investigation is one of the most high-profile undertaken by the office of Special Counsel Scott J. Bloch, who is himself under investigation by the Office of Personnel Management for allegedly retaliating against employees who disagreed with his policies."
This is, for those who do not recogonize a case of the pot calling the kettle black!
readerOfTeaLeaves wrote on May 24, 2007 6:49 PM:Ah, Lurita, that veritable Katrina of Managerial Ineptitude. Will Dubya endow her with a Medal of Freedom before Waxman's hearing, or wait till after?
obsessed wrote on May 24, 2007 6:50 PM:In this case, however, the kettle is quite black ... burned right through and leaking all over the place.
Chuck wrote on May 24, 2007 6:52 PM:She needs to be gone. She got nailed to the wall so many ways during the investigation: Disloyal junior officers, err, sorry that was The Caine Mutiny, junior staff. Threatening to retaliate in front of investigators. Don't recall. Didn't pay attention because she was Blackberrying (of course, the investigators checked and this was a lie). Then she disses the report as nothing more than just staffd work. Who died and made her the Queen? She's a first class horse's patoot who's about ten levels above her Peter Principle level.
mayan wrote on May 24, 2007 6:59 PM:She was theatrical agent but Rove is the auteur and producer. Flip the small fry after squeezing firmly and then nail the bastards.
Stephennnns wrote on May 24, 2007 7:00 PM:Perhaps the sparrow that made an appearance at the Bush press conference could do another flyby over Doan at a propitous moment. Timing is everything.
totally disgusted wrote on May 24, 2007 7:13 PM:Doesn't seem quite right that only Doan should be investigated and potentially terminated for violating the Hatch Act. What about Rove, his deputy Jennings or others who were complicit.
Nestor wrote on May 24, 2007 7:16 PM:Squeeze her; I bet she takes the fifth.
Max wrote on May 24, 2007 7:18 PM:Mayan: Great suggestion, but that should be "Bastard", "singular", and with a capital "B".
SteveW wrote on May 24, 2007 7:24 PM:Just as Karl Rove has inculcated the notion, "liberal equals weak", we need to say over and over...
"President Bush is corrupt and incompetent" over and over until those words just flow out of the mouths of a huge swath of American citizens.
Anonymous wrote on May 24, 2007 7:24 PM:Her last testimony was something else. Can't wait to see the second round.
MP wrote on May 24, 2007 7:26 PM:Rumor has it that loser in this cage match has to shave his/her head. Advantage Waxman.
Candyce wrote on May 24, 2007 7:36 PM:i can haz a cookie? lolz.
libra wrote on May 24, 2007 8:13 PM:She should start taking this medication immediately, to be ready for June 7:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp-yRI_HJoM
And, no, Mr Waxman; it would not be at all remarkable if Ms Doane used smear tactics to discrediit witnesses against her. That's SOP for this malAdministration.
bjobotts wrote on May 24, 2007 8:34 PM:She should also be investigated for her no bid contracts and for making up requests then getting her friends to get the bids. This woman is a greedy self-serving corrupt liar doling out punishments to anyones who does not go along with her. Termination is not enough. She should be barred from holding any public office in the future if not jailed.
downtownted wrote on May 24, 2007 9:00 PM:Doan and her ilk are criminals. Their criminal acts should be, must be pursued. The Bushie, right wingers are expecting that any new administration will go on its merry way and let them get a free pass on the terrible acts they have inflicted on our eloved country. And normally I am a get along go along kind of person. But this group has tried, AND IS STILL IN THERE TRYING, to subvert the way the government operates. Not one of them should get a free pass. Each instigator and each enabler should be hunted down and indited and allowed to carry the stigma of a convicted felon. Left or Right, this leads to the destruction of democracy. It should be dealt with just as viciously as these crazies illegally pursued power
Barry Champlain wrote on May 24, 2007 9:08 PM:All right, fine, we're holding the hearings, we're finding out that they all committed crimes, obstructed justice, perjured themselves before Congress, yada bleeping yada...
... NOW what's gonna happen to these people? Will Gonzales, Doan, Goodling, etc., see even a day of jail time? Will they even be charged with anything?
(Would similarly identified Democratic miscreants in a reverse situation ever be given such a "get out of jail free card", by virtue of the fact that their damned party held the White House and played hardball a lot?)
Really, now, what CAN we expect, at the end of the day, here? Do the Dewmocrats and Congress really need to appear toothless, yet again?
CONSEQUENCES, baby.
psocrat wrote on May 24, 2007 9:15 PM:(code: "screw". Your joke, here.)
The Bushites believe that America will go along with its planned take over of every institution of democracy. Only when we fight back will these people stop trying to steal the country which have fought for.
SJE wrote on May 24, 2007 9:52 PM:Lurita Doan has jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Violation of the Hatch act is punishable by termination. Lying to congress is punishable by jail. You might even be able to push an abuse of office etc. Of course, any reputations damaged by her libel make her liable for private tort claims which could leave her hung out to dry.
Anonymous wrote on May 24, 2007 10:20 PM:I can't remember...
I don't recall..
Can't think of anything...
Of anything at all...
(Peter Gabriel ?)
Anonymous wrote on May 24, 2007 10:32 PM:Rumor has it that loser in this cage match has to shave his/her head. Advantage Waxman.
Tyrone Poopypenis wrote on May 24, 2007 11:40 PM:Posted by: MP
Oh snap! Another hair vs. hair match. It would seem there are some wrestling fans on this site.
lol Waxman is such a poser buffoon. This nonsense has no legs and you aren't going to get Bush on this. Why don't you loving liberals get your congress to stop funding the war? OH, they sold you out? lol
Anonymous wrote on May 24, 2007 11:49 PM:Doan and her husband have a lot of skeletons in their closet. Her husband is under investigation also. He was canned from DHS. If they really want to dig-up something good, the investigators should take a close look at her contracts that she “won” as owner of New Technology Management, Inc. The vast majority of her contracts were no bid, because of her minority status. There was some malfeasance involved. At least her GSA job has some accountability.
totallynext wrote on May 25, 2007 12:04 AM:Least you forget - she stated that Agency Inspector Generals were Nazi's (you know the ones in charge of auditing all those contracts that she has control over). And then she stripped their budget.
Sorry - she is a political hack and needs to be fired today - Oh yea - the President will come out and say (yet again) that he has all the confidence in her.
Also she comes from Industry - not Government Affairs and or Policy.
JNagarya wrote on May 25, 2007 12:29 AM:"lol Waxman is such a poser buffoon. This nonsense has no legs and you aren't going to get Bush on this. Why don't you loving liberals get your congress to stop funding the war? OH, they sold you out? lol
"Posted by: Tyrone Poopypenis
Date: May 24, 2007 11:40 PM"
It has legs; and the legs were found by a Bushit appointee.
And the investigation of him as a retaliator against subordinates in violation of long-standing laws will also have legs, and find him guilty as charged.
Support Bushit's war, do you? When will you be enlisting, Mr. Courageous Patriot?
Or are you yet another anti-American chickenhawk leech on the country's tresury, and vampire on the blood of the troops?
fedwatcher wrote on May 25, 2007 1:10 AM:Lurita A. Doan has some serious leadership and integrity shortcomings. She has displayed for the American people that she is an incompetent, vindictive manager who lies under oath. I hope that the GSA employees she slandered have their day in court for justice. How would you like to have Lurita Doan as your boss? How can she lead GSA with the example she has set? It’s obvious Bush cares about as much for the GSA federal employees as he does for our struggling troops in Iraq. Mr. Bush could make a substantial improvement in his job approval ratings if he would be the first to demand the resignations of his foul-up subordinates.
aterrificjob wrote on May 25, 2007 4:34 AM:I have read daily for weeks about Doan/GSA and robots/DoJ. My conclusion is that their behaviors are largely - if not entirely - due to the fact that they ACT LIKE BUSINESS MANAGERS. I have worked for 20 years in large corporations, and what these people do happens all the time. I had to laugh out loud as all DoJ employees said " I didn't do it, I didn't know, it was a group concensus decision..." Responsibility is not clear; people lie to protect themselves; they suck up to bosses; they push and abuse, and fight for their power and turf; and goals are often more important than integrity (ie. doing the right thing right). Government employees are held to a higher standard than business - and rightly so in my view. But "the MBA president" and the subsequent change in govt employees priorities and behavior is having a very negative effect on the country. My god, they are acting like CORPORATIONS.
Agjobs wrote on May 25, 2007 9:11 AM:The Bushies keep saying that there is nothing to see here or at the DOJ. What they don't get is that this kind of "Corporate" type politics with peoples careers on the line is something that every working American totally understands. Getting canned for phoney "performance issues" happens all of the time in the average Joe or Jill's work enviroment to either themselves or someone they know and they feel helpless to stop it. These Elite Bushies just don't get it, but the average American does and in this case they can go to the polls and get rid of this crap for at least a generation.
chimpeach wrote on May 25, 2007 10:12 AM:Code Word "body" as in body politic
Doan was so over-the-top proud of herself when she acknowledged that she'd given $226,000 to GOP candidates, that she seems to confuse partisanship with patriotism. And in her mind the other party is, apparently, the enemy of the state.
Candyce wrote on May 25, 2007 10:22 AM:It's my understanding from reading that, as a Bush appointee, he is the one who will decide if she should be disciplined for breaking the law. We know how that will go.
Anonymous wrote on May 25, 2007 12:18 PM:Disagree: "Government employees are held to a higher standard than business - and rightly so in my view." Having a standard is different than enforcing it.
Anonymous wrote on May 25, 2007 1:08 PM:Seeing as how Bush was appointed to the White House by Scalia and the Florida and Ohio Secretaries of State, can we get a copy of his performance appraisal? What, no performance metrics for the Great Decider?
[sec.code="moon", as in Daddy Bush's antichrist buddy.]
Tyrone Poopypenis wrote on June 16, 2007 5:31 PM:"When will you be enlisting, Mr. Courageous Patriot?"
Oh, I have to enlist to have an opinion? How about you answer these questions, you bedwetting sub-human-
Why do liberals insult the military (Ted Rall cartoons, saying they're poor and not smart enough for college)?
Why do the troops overwhelmingly support the President?
If your solution is to get out of Iraq - why isn't your majority in congress going to STOP FUNDING THE WAR? Isn't it immoral to support them, if you think the war is so bad? Thay have the power to end it, but won't. You can't have it both ways, boy.