GAO Study Finds Improper Burrowing During Bush Years

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo

GAO Study Finds Improper Burrowing During Bush Years
Justin Elliott | June 29, 2010, 10:02AM


A study by the Government Accountability Office has found seven instances of improper burrowing -- political appointees shifting to career civil servant positions in a given agency -- during the Bush Administration, though none of the seven occurred close to the 2008 presidential election.

...............

The GAO did an exhaustive study of these so-called "conversions" from political to career positions between May 2005 and May 2009. It found 139 conversions in that period, with the most -- 32 -- occurring at the Justice Department, and the second-most, 17, occurring at the Department of Homeland Security. The GAO found the vast majority, 117, followed "fair and open competition" and proper procedures to ensure that the conversions were justified.

In one of seven cases where the GAO found improper burrowing, a special assistant in the Office of Congressional & Legislative Affairs of the Department of Veterans Affairs -- who worked in that position from January 2001 to May 2007 -- became a program analyst in the Office of Information and Technology, despite "limited qualifications and experience." The GAO study concludes:

Read more: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/gao_study_finds_improper_burrowing_in_bush_years.php#more

[Demeter]

1. The Only Surprise Is That Somebody Actually Looked Into It

Good for them, by the way.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Count me in. Well said.

[ixion]

2. so let the unburrowing begin

and let's root the neocons out of government.

[LawnKorn]

4. K&R