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Thursday, October 25, 2007
Jackson: Stretching the Truth at HUD
 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphoso Jackson was back in the news this week, and the story wasn't good. Here's an passage from the AP artice:
WASHINGTON - During an investigation of his conduct last year, President Bush's housing secretary defiantly defended his dealings with federal contractors doing business with the department.
Alphonso Jackson survived that investigation, but now faces a new one stemming from the same forceful style that got him in trouble the first time.
The FBI and the department's internal watchdog are examining Jackson's ties to a friend who was paid at least $392,000 in federal money after Jackson passed along the man's name for a job as post-Katrina construction manager at the Housing Authority of New Orleans.
Saying Jackson "survived" the last investigation is putting it lightly. The internal HUD investigation by the Inspector General's office (the report of which has not been made public according to the AP) found that Jackson lied about his dealings with contractors, boasting inaccurately that he canceled a contract to one contractor after they expressed views different from President Bush. In fact, Jackson freely admitted he had lied about canceling the contract.
Yet later in the IG's report, Jackson claimed not to have interfered with a grant for $4 million to Abt Associates, despite his staff testifying that he did. Apparently Jackson didn't like that Abt Associates associates only gave money to Democrats. The report conclude the award was "blocked for a significant period of time due to Jackson's involvement and opposition." Jackson said he never held it up. I suppose we're just supposed to believe him this time, despite evidence to the contrary and his track record for stretching the truth.
Posted by Adam Hughes
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