white house fires americorps inspector general…because he’s senile?
By American Girl in Italy on June 17, 2009 at 3:01 PM in Obama Administration, Sara in Italy
An official responsible for monitoring how federal funds for volunteerism are spent told FOX News he was fired by President Obama for doing his job, and suggested it was payback for investigating the alleged misuse of grant money by the Sacramento mayor, an Obama backer.
Gerald Walpin, who until last week was the chief internal watchdog for AmericCorps and other service programs, suggested “political pressure” was behind his ouster. He said he worried the action will have a “chilling effect” on other inspectors general.
Obama gave little explanation for the decision, writing in a letter sent Thursday that he no longer had the “fullest confidence” in Walpin.
“I am the victim of being fired because I was doing my job and doing it properly,” Walpin told FOX News Tuesday. He said he could not let concern for “political pressure” interfere with his staff’s pursuit of the investigation — noting that it was his staff, not him personally, that pursued the inquiry.
Claire McCaskill weighed in on the topic, saying the president did not abide by the same law that he co-sponsored, and she wrote, about firing Inspectors General.
“The White House has failed to follow the proper procedure in notifying Congress as to the removal of the Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service,” McCaskill said. “The legislation which was passed last year requires that the president give a reason for the removal.”
McCaskill, a key Obama ally, said that the president’s stated reason for the termination, “Loss of confidence’ is not a sufficient reason.”
She added that she was “hopeful the White House will provide a more substantive rationale, in writing, as quickly as possible.”
Responding to criticism, President Obama explained why he fired the Inspector General without the 30-day notice required by law, calling Gerald Walpin so “confused” and “disoriented” that there was reason to question “his capacity to serve.”
In a letter to the bipartisan leaders of the Senate Committee that oversees AmeriCorps, Obama listed these alleged defects in Walpin’s leadership as an Inspector General.
Removed after unanimous request from the AmeriCorps board of directors
At May, 20, 2009, board meeting Walpin “was confused, disoriented and unable to answer questions and exhibited behavior that led the board to question his capacity to serve.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California complained about Walpin’s conduct to the IG oversight board and alleged he withheld exculpatory evidence.
Walpin had “been absent from the Corporation’s headquarters, insisting upon working from his home in New York over the objection” of the board.
He “exhibited a lack of candor in providing material information to decision makers.
He “engaged in other troubling and inappropriate conduct.
He “had become unduly disruptive to agency operations, impairing his effectiveness.”
The letter, authored by Norman Eisen, Special Counsel to the President for ethics, concluded: “It was for these reasons that Mr. Walpin was removed.”
So, is the President smearing Walpin to cover his butt, or has Walpin become confused, disoriented, and unable to function in his job? Basically, the White House is calling Walpin senile.
If Walpin is suffering from dementia, and becoming confused and unable to perform his job, did Obama act appropriately in firing him over the phone, through White House council, with no explanation, and only allowing him one hour to clean out his desk?
I would think there would be a much more sensitive way to handle someone in government service that is perhaps suffering from early dementia….
I don’t buy this story. I can’t believe that if the reasons for his firing were really due to concerns about his mental health that he would be fired over the phone, with no explanation. I would assume it would be a sensitive matter, and handled as such.
This feels like a smear job. Could this have something to do with it:
Republican Senator Seeks Details on Possible First Lady Involvement in IG Firing
The White House insists the first lady had nothing to do with the firing of Gerald Walpin, former inspector general for the Corporation for National and Community Service who was summarily dismissed by President Obama last week.
A top Republican senator is asking whether First Lady Michelle Obama’s office played any role in last week’s firing of former service program Inspector General Gerald Walpin.
The concern, one of several surrounding Walpin’s sudden dismissal, stems from the timing of a staff switch in the first lady’s office. Just days before Walpin got the boot, the White House announced Michelle Obama’s chief of staff would be appointed senior adviser to the agency Walpin was responsible for monitoring. Michelle Obama said at the time she and her outgoing staffer, Jackie Norris, would work closely going forward.
With accusations now flying that the Walpin firing was politically motivated, the personnel change only adds to the list of questions Republicans have for the president.
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