CREW SENDS LETTER TO HUD IG DEMANDING INVESTIGATION INTO SEC. JACKSON'S PURPORTED CONTRACTING DECISION, SUBSEQUENT EXPLANATION

10 May 2006 // Washington D.C. – Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Inspector General Kenneth M. Donohue requesting an immediate investigation into the purported decision and subsequent explanation by HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson to terminate a contract with a prospective contractor after he informed Secretary Jackson that he disliked President Bush.

On May 5, 2006 the Dallas Business Journal reported on a talk given by Secretary Jackson during a real estate forum in which he the told story of a contractor who was denied a federal contract after he made his negative view of President Bush clear.

Denying a federal contract in such a situation would violate federal law. The Competition in Contracting Act lists the six circumstances under which a particular source can be excluded from a contract; political views are not included.

In a turn of events, according to the Dallas Business Journal, Secretary Jackson has now claimed through his spokeswoman not to have pulled the contract. The spokeswoman explained that Secretary Jackson was ‘merely trying to explain to the audience how people in D.C., will say critical things about the secretary, will unfairly characterize the president and then turn around and ask you for money. He did not actually meet with someone and turn down the contract. He’s not part of the contracting process.’

“Which is it? Did Secretary Jackson interfere with a contracting decision based on the potential contractor’s political views, or was he fabricating a story to illustrate a point -- that only those supportive of the Bush administration need apply?” said Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW. “Either way the American public deserves to know the truth. Mr. Donohue should immediately investigate the Secretary’s actions.”

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Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit, legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions. For more information, please visit www.citizensforethics.org or contact Naomi Seligman Steiner at 202.408.5565/press@citizensforethics.org.