Say Anything Blog

This is like two dozen Obama nominations that have flopped now.  I’m not sure on the exact total.  I’ve lost count.

(Washington, D.C. – March 25, 2009) Jon Cannon, nominee for Deputy U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, released the following statement:
“Today I am voluntarily removing my name from consideration to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. It has come to my attention that America’s Clean Water Foundation, where I once served on the board of directors, has become the subject of scrutiny. While my service on the board of that now-dissolved organization is not the subject of the scrutiny, I believe the energy and environmental challenges facing our nation are too great to delay confirmation for this position, and I do not wish to present any distraction to the agency.”

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said: “I’m disappointed that Jon Cannon will be unable to serve as Deputy Administrator, and I thank him for his many years of dedication to the EPA. The administration will move quickly to identify a new candidate who can help us carry out our mission to preserve environmental sustainability and create green jobs as we transition the nation to a clean energy economy.”

Malkin notes that the problem at the heart of this withdrawal is probably the Clean Water Foundation’s bungling of three government grants worth about $26 million.

The Foundation did not comply with the financial and program management standards and the procurement standards promulgated in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 30. Specifically, the Foundation (1) could not provide support for any of its general journal entries; (2) included duplicate transactions in its accounting system; (3) recorded labor charged to EPA grants incorrectly; (4) could not support the recorded indirect costs; (5) claimed unallowable preaward costs; (6) recorded EPA cash draws inaccurately; (7) did not submit required indirect cost proposals to EPA; (8) did not complete the required single audits for fiscal years ended June 30, 2003, June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005; and (9) did not submit a Federal Cash Transactions Report when required.

The Foundation’s procurement practices and procedures did not comply with the grant regulations. The Foundation awarded sole source contracts without performing the cost/price analysis required by Title 40 CFR 30.45. It also awarded a contract to a member of its Board of Directors, contrary to the conflict of interest provisions at Title 40 CFR 30.42, and reimbursed a contractor for billings above contractual ceilings. Because the Foundation did not adequately document its costs and did not comply with the EPA regulations, we questioned the Federal share claimed of $25,372,590.

Apparently the Clean Water Foundation ceased to exist after this scandal came to light.

The Obama administration had to of known about this.  Are they really so desperate to fill vacancies at this point that they’re running clearly flawed appointees like Mr. Cannon up the flag pole just to see what’ll happen?

And given how many Obama nominees have fallen on their faces due to fraud and scandal, are there even going to be enough honest liberals in the country to serve in the Obama administration?  Or is The One going to have to start outsourcing federal appointments to India just to find some people who have paid their taxes and haven’t taken any bribes?