Federal Daily - October 1, 2008

DOJ Continues Investigation of Attorney Firings

Attorney General Michael Mukasey has selected a veteran federal prosecutor to further investigate the politically motivated firings of a number of U.S. Attorneys in 2006. An investigative report released Sept. 29 by Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Glenn A. Fine and Office of Professional Responsibility Director H. Marshall Jarrett uncovered “significant evidence” that partisan political factors played a role in some of the 2006 dismissals. Mukasey named Connecticut Acting U.S. Attorney Nora Dannehy to continue the probe. The report notes that former Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales failed to properly supervise his subordinates during the run-up to the firings and made misleading statements afterward. “Most remarkably, Gonzales told us he had ‘no recollection’ of the Nov. 27, 2006, meeting in his conference room during which he approved the plan to request the resignations of the U.S. Attorneys,” said the report, pointing out that others present remember Gonzales being there. The report also was critical of D. Kyle Sampson, Gonzales’ former chief of staff, who committed “misconduct” by making a series of questionable public statements and failing to share information with the White House, lawmakers and his own superiors about the extent of the White House involvement in the firings. Fine and Jarrett said further investigation was needed because of problems getting cooperation with their probe. Key witnesses, including former White House officials Karl Rove and Harriet E. Miers, refused to be interviewed, and the White House refused to turn over internal documents related to the dismissal of the prosecutors, the report said. To see more, go to: www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0809a/final.pdf.

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Bush OKs Noncompetitive Hiring of Military Spouses

In an executive order, President Bush has given federal agencies the authority to appoint the spouses of military servicemembers to civilian government jobs without going through the competitive hiring process. “It shall be the policy of the United States to provide for the appropriately expedited recruitment and selection of spouses of members of the Armed Forces for appointment to positions in the competitive service of the federal civil service,” said the order dated Sept. 25. Those who qualify are the spouses of active-duty servicemembers of the armed forces who are under orders that authorize a permanent change of station move; spouses of totally disabled retired or separated servicemembers; and the unremarried widows or widowers of servicemembers killed on active duty. To see more, go to: www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/09/20080926-8.html.

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Army Will Move 6,400 Jobs to New Site

Army officials announced Sept 29 that they have selected a private development near Interstate 395 in Alexandria, Va., as the future worksite for 6,400 spillover jobs originally destined to be moved to Fort Belvoir, Va. As part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendations, the Army looked at three Virginia locations—including an old General Services Administration warehouse in Springfield—before deciding on the new site at Mark Center. The move is part of the BRAC effort to shift 20,000 Washington-area workers, some of them in sensitive positions, to outside-the-beltway job sites. While the jobs were originally slated to move to Fort Belvoir's Engineer Proving Ground in Springfield, Va., the Army had to adjust the plan because of traffic and congestion concerns. To comply with the law, the Army now must buy the Mark Center property to make it part of Fort Belvoir. In arriving at its decision, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment Keith Eastin said the Army considered multiple factors, including project timelines, transportation management and site adaptability. “The Mark Center site resolves security issues, improves space requirements and mission relationships, and minimizes changes to existing living, working and quality of life issues,” he said. Construction is scheduled to begin on the site in January, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. To see more, go to: www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2008/09/29/12799-army-selects-virginia-location-for-brac-133-personnel.

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