Lurita Doan

Lurita Loses It Over Waxman's Report

Kate Klonick | October 16, 2008, 1:43PM

Lurita Doan, the former administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), is a favorite of TPMmuckraker -- not just because she's sufficiently steeped in controversy, but because she makes for some great TPMtv.

Well today, Lurita decided to make us some great PDFs.

The House Oversight Report released yesterday found that the White House had enlisted government agencies -- like the GSA, led by Doan at the time -- to assist Republicans running for re-election. You might remember Doan as the agency head who had the good sense to ask Karl Rove's aide Scott Jennings, "how 'we' could help 'our candidates' in the next election" in front of a roomful of assembled officials.

Doan wrote a angry two-page response to Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, defending herself. For the world's viewing pleasure, she sent a copy of that letter to FedBlog, who wasted no time in posting it.

"Most Americans have grown familiar with your lack of candor, misleading statements, and bitter partisan machinations, and certainly, your report serves as yet another example of the same ol' same ol' from Henry Waxman," Doan begins her letter.

"You, quite shamefully, decided to ignore it," Doan continues, after laying out her version of events. "You didn't want the truth; you wanted a highly charged misinterpretation so that you could weave your idea of political gold."

Doan also criticizes the investigation of Office of Special Counsel Director Scott Bloch, who she claims "directed federal employees, on government time to pen anonymous blogs to further disparage my character and distort the facts for your direct benefit."

"Are you aware," she continues, "one of Mr. Bloch's federal bloggers penned especially negative attacks and disguised himself 'a combat veteran'. [sic] How utterly craven."

But really, our favorite part is the finale where she begs for a chance to go in front of the Committee again.

I now understand you and your ubiquitous hypocrisy. I know how your witch hunts and kangaroo courts work. So please, invite me to testify. I can't wait.

We can only hope, Lurita.

Read Doan's letter to Waxman, in all its glory, here.

House Oversight

House Oversight Finds WH Sought Gov't Help for GOP Candidates

Kate Klonick | October 15, 2008, 11:57AM

After lots of fun testimony, the House Oversight has released a draft report finding that the White House "enlisted agency heads across government in a coordinated effort to elect Republican candidates to Congress," directing them ""to make hundreds of trips -- most at taxpayer expense -- for the purpose of increasing the electability of Republicans" in the 2006 elections.

If you'll remember, this whole ordeal involved infamous Karl Rove aide Scott Jennings and Lurita "Private Sass" Doan, former head of the General Services Administration.

After a tactful presentation by Jennings, Doan had the good sense to ask the assembled officials "how 'we' could help 'our candidates' in the next election."

Henry Waxman

House Panel: White House Claims of Exec. Privilege "Unprecedented"

Kate Klonick | October 14, 2008, 3:38PM

Oversight Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) came together today to criticize the White House for their use of executive privilege in the Valerie Plame leak scandal.

The two lawmakers called Bush's refusal to disclose the report of the FBI interview with Vice President Cheney "legally unprecedented" and "inappropriate." The committee seeks the document in order to establish the White House's role in the leak of Plame's name to the media.

From The Hill:

"The president's assertion of executive privilege over this document was legally unprecedented and an inappropriate use of executive privilege" Waxman, the panel's chair, and Davis, the ranking Republican, said in a joint report.

Although both lawmakers agree that the president's action was "inappropriate," they disagree over whether Bush had the right to invoke executive privilege. Waxman rejects the validity of the assertion while Davis supports the privilege.

Waxman has been attempting to get access to the document since December 2007, and the committee issued a subpoena for it on June 24th 2008.

The Justice Department declared it would "not provide or make available any reports of interviews with the president or the vice president from the leak investigation" in response to the subpoena.

House Oversight

House Oversight Committee Will Hold Additional Hearings on Wall Street's Breakdown

Kate Klonick | October 2, 2008, 1:46PM

Henry Waxman, House Oversight Committee Chairman, added three more hearings on the financial crisis to the Committee's schedule in October.

Oversight had already planned to hold hearings on AIG's bailout and Lehman Brother's bankruptcy.

The new hearings will cover hedge fund regulation, the breakdown of credit rating agencies and the role of federal regulators.

"This financial crisis has shaken the global economy," Waxman said. "Congress cannot wait until a new administration arrives in January to examine what went wrong and who should be held accountable."

Waxman wrote letters requesting testimony from Treasury Secretary John Paulson, philanthropist George Soros, former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan, SEC chairman Christopher Cox and the heads of a number of hedge funds.