Obama, Sestak, Romanoff: Bribes, Lies, and Scandal
I waited on the Sestak issue because of conflicting stories, and finger-pointing every which way but true. Now that I’m hearing about U.S. Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff, though, I think it’s time to open up on this story (besides, if “Thrill-Up-His-Leg” Matthews says something doesn’t smell right, that’s good enough for me). The Obama Administration is trying to pick the winners, and that doesn’t bode well for a healthy democracy.
What’s interesting is that in March, when White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was questioned by the press about whether the White House offered Congressman Joe Sestak a high-ranking position in order to remove him from the Senate race, he didn’t have much to say (see short video below).
He basically said, “I don’t know, let me ask my boss what I’m supposed to say.” And then, when questioned in late May as part of a follow-up, he said he didn’t have anything to add to his statements in March (see video below).
Then, they decided to issue a very carefully worded memo (which still says little), in hopes that it would be enough of a bone to get the media off of their heels. Here’s what the White House will admit via memo (.pdf):
“Efforts were made in June and July of 2009 to determine whether Congressman Sestak would be interested in service on a Presidential or other Senior Executive Brand Advisory Board, which would avoid a divisive Senate primary, allow him to retain his seat in the House, and provide him with an opportunity for additional service to the public in a high-level advisory capacity for which he was highly qualified. The advisory positions discussed with Congressman Sestak, while important to the work of the Administration, would have been uncompensated.
White House staff did not discuss these options with Congressman Sestak. The White House Chief of Staff enlisted the support of former President Clinton who agreed to raise with Congressman Sestak options of service on a Presidential of other Senior Executive Branch Advisory Board. Congressman Sestak declined the suggested alternatives, remaining committed to his Senate candidacy.“
But it didn’t work. The memo raised more questions than in answered (as seen in the video below), and Gibbs STILL won’t say anything more than what’s already been said.
As to the legality question, Judicial Watch has this to say: “[T]he Obama White House tried to bribe [Sestak] to abandon his Democratic primary challenge to Senator Arlen Specter by offering him a high-level position in the White House.
This is an extremely serious charge. Those involved could be guilty of violating federal laws. At least four of them by my count:
18 USC 210: Offer to procure appointive public office: Whoever pays or offers or promises any money or thing of value, to any person, firm, or corporation in consideration of the use or promise to use any influence to procure any appointive office or place under the United States for any person, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
18 USC 211: Acceptance of solicitation to obtain appointive public office, which reads in part: Whoever solicits or receives, either as a political contribution, or for personal emolument, any money or thing of value, in consideration of the promise of support or use of influence in obtaining for any person any appointive office or place under the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
18 USC 595: Interference by administrative employees by Federal, State or Territorial Governments, which reads in part: Whoever, being a person employed in any administrative position by the United States…in connection with any activity which is financed in whole or in part by loans or grants made by the United States, or any department or agency thereof, uses his official authority for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives…shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
18 USC 600: Promise of employment or other benefit for political activity, which reads in part: Whoever, directly or indirectly, promises any employment, position, compensation, contract, appointment, or other benefit, provided for or made possible in whole or in part by any Act of Congress, or any special consideration in obtaining any such benefit, to any person…for the support of or opposition to any candidate or any political party in connection with any general or special election to any political office, or in connection with any primary election…shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.“
Now we have Colorado Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff with a similar tale of White House meddling. Judicial Watch comes through again with an e-mail released (.pdf) by Romanoff describing three positions he would be eligible for, were he to step down from the Senate race:
1. Deputy Assistant Administrator for Latin America and Caribbean, USAID
2. Director, Office of Democracy and Governance, USAID
3. Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)
I make the distinction eligible for and offered, because at this time, Romanoff is saying that he wasn’t “offered” these jobs, but was told that he would be eligible for filling these slots if he were not in the Senate race. No promises were made. That’s no consolation in my eyes, because everyone knows what that was: a blatant attempt to run him out of the running. And we can’t have that kind of political manipulation and expect to have a healthy democracy. For that, we need all options on the table, but this administration has taken upon itself the task of removing those who the people think should win, so that those who Obama thinks should win will be able to do so. That doesn’t sit well with me.
Now look at Gibbs when he’s questioned about this. This looks like a guy who doesn’t want to be there – intensely interested in his navel, idly shuffling papers, glancing up occasionally to see if the mean old journos are still asking him questions. I feel for the guy. He knows how this went down with Sestak, and his boss is telling him to say the same things. He knows he’s not really answering the questions, so they keep asking him, but he also knows that if he answers them any way other than how he’s been told, he’s out of a job. See the painful video below.
I don’t know how this will all turn out, but I do know that this will be a painful thorn to this administration for months to come. I think it’s made all the worse by the fact that the administration won’t come out and say anything about it. They were hoping the Sestak thing would blow over, and it might have if not for the release of the Romanoff mess. Now, the longer they stay silent, the guiltier they look. This, amongst other things, is going to hurt Democrats this fall.
