Gerald Walpin, Inspector General Fired By Obama, Files Lawsuit To Be Reinstated

ABC News:

Gerald Walpin, the former Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service whom President Obama took the unusual step of firing last month, filed a lawsuit against the CNCS on Friday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Read the whole story: ABC News

Comments

[elakelaiset]

Why did Obama hire Jerry Springer in the first place?

[lisakaz2]

Did he? Or is this guy a leftover bu$hie?

[Belisarius]

He wants his day in court. Good. That is what a nation of laws provides its citizens.

I remember when Bush fired an Inspector General for the Army who complained about the no bid contracts in Iraq. I wish that woman had taken her case to court.

[Terypat]

I guess those "at will" employment laws that most states carry on their books don't apply to Inspector General of the US Government.

[oregonbird]

Old white guy wants his influence & job back, after being stamped FAIL.

No.

[Osusuki]

According to the article, Walpin is represented by the Greenburg Traurig dream team of Jack Abramoff fame. Even if he is the cleanest client they've taken on in this century, that puts him in some very edgy company.

[imsosure]

Jeez all he wants is his job back, get in line pal. Perhaps there were some short comings in his delivering of his position that should have received as much attention in he time prior to his release in a previous administration that could have helped to avoid some of the others in line, waiting for their job back.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173

[SSF]

Lousy bureaucratic bookkeeping, over which Kevin Johnson had no daily control. Were civil or criminal charges filed against Mayor Johnson? No. Were any charges filed against St. Hope Academy? No. Has St. Hope Academy been cleared to receive stimulus funds again? Yes. All of this still doesn't explain why an Inspector General would release details of an ongoing investigation to the press; derailing any investigation and tainting any potential jury pool.

[larmarch5]

Well, maybe, except Kevin Johnson was running for mayor, and, well, maybe . . .

[SSF]

Gerald Walpin had some interesting ideas about how to do his job. He began by circumventing the authority of U.S. Attorney Brown by releasing details of his "investigation" to the local press in Sacramento after explicitly being ordered not to and demanding charges be filed even though he does not have that authority. All this began conveniently right before the 2008 election. And now here he is again, raking up more muck during the height of the healthcare reform debate. Typical Republican tool!

[mrskorn]

Why was Johnson repaying money if there was no wrong?

[Nardwilly]

There are tthree different ways to do something, wrong, not knowing the rules, inability to follow the rules (competence), and disobeying the rules you know. The first two are usually not unethical. We could call them mistakes. The last is unethical, but not always a crime.

[imsosure]

Talk about no authority, maybe you can explain this,

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173

[ReedYoung]

His firing was not political, he was fired for politicizing his own job, and more generally being a corrupt Republican tool.
[
In that April 29 letter from Brown to Kenneth Kaiser, chair of the Integrity Committee for the Counsel of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, the Acting US Attorney wrote "to express my Office's concerns about the conduct" of Walpin in the handling of the Johnson case, complaining that "Walpin viewed his role … as the investigator, advocate, judge, jury and town crier."
]

[dennisrs]

Sorry yo disagree with you RedYoung but it looks like it is "acting" AG Brown who politicizing the investigation.
Read this for more info

http://cncsig.gov/PDF/StHope/StHOPEFIN.pdf

[ibsteve2u]

Fine example of what is wrong with our legal system: It is chock full of lawyers who are not in it to practice law.

[LucyBelle97]

I thought he was an at will employee of the government. Don't Republicans believe that the employer has the right to terminate an employee at any time for any reason or no reason?

[dennisrs]

He isn't an at will employee LucyBelle97--The law is below

"If an Inspector General is removed from office or is transferred to another position or location within an establishment, the President shall communicate in writing the reasons for any such removal or transfer to both Houses of Congress, not later than 30 days before the removal or transfer. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a personnel action otherwise authorized by law, other than transfer or removal."

Read that the President has to "not later than 30 days Before" not after the fact.

[Sensiblebg]

He got fired for the wrong reasons.. He was investigating an ally of Obama's... If there wasnt anything to hide then there is no reason to fire him..

[Knowitall]

That's ridiculous. Being fired doesn't render you mute. Actually, being fired makes it possible to say anything he wants to say. He has been "unmuzzled." I'm sure he'll be singing like a canary now, if his conduct as IG is any indication. I'm sure he'll have deep pockets helping him with this suit, and all kinds of "stuff" will be alledged. In the end however, I'm confident he will lose. You don't publically spar with your employer. That gets you fired everytime. And usually you stay fired.

[mrskorn]

That is the whole point of the legislation that was signed to protect AG from being fired by their "employers"! And BHO was involved in creating this legislation!! You don't see the irony? Or hypocrisy I should say.

[Sensiblebg]

He was doing what he was hired to do and up until he investigated an ally of Obama they were fine with him..

[dennisrs]

He was the Investigator General of AmeriCorp it's not just about the Mayor of Sacramento who misused used fund provided by AmeriCorp for his own personal use. You have an acting AG who wants to be a permanent AG so I question his motives.

[InLosAngeles]

This will be interesting to watch play out. It seems like McCaskill received a little pressure from above to step back from her initial position of siding with Walpin.

[mrskorn]

Are you surprised?! While everyone thinks O is a change, he is just as vindictive as all other politicians. He just hides it better.

[Knowitall]

Is it possible that McCaskill reread the law? The characterization of her "step back" was made by the writer. I don't believe it for a minute.

[dennisrs]

Politics Chicago style!

[ReedYoung]

Or she learned the real facts of this case, after first mouthing off based on a GOP liar's misconstruction of it.

[dennisrs]

Jes-us RedYoung you just don't give up do you?

[Rayme]

Gerald Walpin should be reinstated, he was fired for actually doing his job. I mean, the gull of the man to actually do what he was hired to do.

[Knowitall]

It was not his job to question his superiors. If you read the article again, that's what he did. You don't do that when you're employed. It gets you fired.

[mrskorn]

It WAS his job to look for misconduct. He did his job, too well I guess.

[dennisrs]

Again just who are his Superiors? He doesn't answer to the United States Attorney. So who is his boss. The position is suppose to be free of political influence isn't it that the whole point of a independent IG? I think it is Congress who is boss and that is why there is a 30 day "Law" to protect them from just this kind of thing. On the hand the AG and his US Attorneys are purely political appointment and serve at the pleasure of the US President. When the President one of them to jump they better jump. So who is to be trusted an appointee who serves at the pleasure or IG who is protected from firing by law for at least 30 days and that gives Congress (who are suppose) to represent "Us" We the People from the President abusing his powers! So folks who and what do we want a government or a ruler?
BHO Kool Aid drinkers please think before answering because the next President who you probably won't like will be able to get away with the same tactics. We already see BHO using Bush tactics against the "we the people" already , so tread careful here.

[sunnyjane]

"Gull?" What does a sea bird have to do with it? I believe you meant "gall," as in "the NERVE of the man..." etc.

[ReedYoung]

"Gull" might be an ironically accurate error. It looks like Walpin's style of collaboration was essentially to swoop in, squawk a lot and crap all over everything, then leave clumsily.

[dennisrs]

Yes teacher and I am sure the rest of read through the typo.The gall of you to bring up such a typo too. ; ) JK

[Zen0469]

The unfortunate Gerald Walpaste should quietly tiptoe toward the exit door while he's ahead. Far better to retreat gracefully than to have it documented that you are an incompetent right wing mudhead.

Oh, but win.gnu.tters just love confrontation don't they? OK. Have it your way. The clear cut demonstration of proof that Gerald is just another demented republithug will be much more entertaining. So, cue the applause and distribute the popcorn.

[Knowitall]

I have posted several times here saying the guy was wrong and deserved to be fired. Yet truthfully, I'm kind of looking forward to the revelations to come about this person. Judging from what I've already seen, it's going to be another laugh riot. Hopefully, it will be prominent enough to get some SNL or Comedy channel attention.

[mitsie]

I'm sure the discovery for trial will bring out some interesting stuff.

[cloudynites]

Jerry Springer was an I.G.?