by J. Michael Sharman, Contributing Writer
There are currently 65 vacancies on the federal bench. To prepare for making those lifetime judicial appointments, President Obama can take a lesson from the people problems he has already encountered in making his executive branch appointments.
Adolfo Carrión Jr., the new director of the White House Office of Urban Policy. Under investigation for receiving free work on his home from an architect who got government contracts through him. The New York Daily News also reported that Carrión, as Bronx borough president, received tens of thousands in campaign contributions from developers shortly after his approval of zoning changes benefiting those developers.
Former Sen. Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination to be Health and Human Services secretary after acknowledging he had not paid pay $128,000 in taxes on a limo and chauffeur service.
Charles Freeman, withdrew from consideration as director of the National Intelligence Council , after complaints that he had served for four years on the board of the China National Offshore Oil Corp, a company owned by the Chinese communist government, and that he also led the Middle East Policy Council, a Washington group whose financial support comes from the Saudi Government.
Timothy Geithner, confirmed as Treasury Secretary, despite not paying $34,000 in self-employment income taxes from 2001 to 2004. None of Geithner’s 17 deputies have been confirmed.
Senator Judd Gregg, withdrew his nomination as President Obama’s second choice to be the Commerce Secretary, saying: “… I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. … Bottom line, this is simply a bridge too far for me.”
Eric Holder, confirmed as U.S Attorney General despite having obtained pardons from President Clinton for fugitive financier Marc Rich and 16 Puerto Rican terrorists. In 2002, the House Government Operations Committee said Mr. Holder's conduct was “unconscionable.”
Nancy Killefer was Mr. Obama's first choice to be the federal government's first chief performance officer. She withdrew because of a District of Columbia tax lien on her home for failing to pay unemployment compensation taxes on her household servants.
Former Washington Governor Gary Locke. Nominated as President Obama’s third choice to be the Commerce Secretary. He co-sponsored fundraising events during the second Clinton administration with the former fundraiser, now-convicted felon, John Huang. The Democratic National Committee returned more than $1.6 million in tainted funds raised by Huang. Locke refused to return the money Huang gave him. Besides the Huang contributions, Locke held two fundraisers at the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple which produced $5,000 in cash that a member of Locke’s staff laundered by buying five $1,000 bank checks in the names of five separate donors.
Annette Nazareth. Withdrew from consideration as Deputy Treasury Secretary supposedly because she was one of the Securities Exchange Commissioners who failed to spot the Madoff Fraud.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew his nomination as President Obama’s first choice to be the Commerce Secretary because a grand jury was investigating him on charges of influence peddling for awarding a $1.5 million state contract to political contributors.
Ron Sims, deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. As the Seattle chief executive, he was fined $124,000 for “blatant” violations of Washington state's Public Records Act for failing to release financing documents on the Seattle Seahawks stadium. In January, 2009, the Washington state supreme court said the fine should be increased.
Rep. Hilda Solis, confirmed as Secretary of Labor despite the fact that she violated House rules by failing to disclose she was an officer of a group lobbying Congress. Also, a day before her confirmation hearings, her husband finally paid off $6,400 in past tax liens dating back 16 years.
Posts
