Difference between revisions of "Jobsgate"
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Revision as of 13:31, March 22, 2010
Jobsgate refers to the scandal in the Obama Administration where someone in the White House allegedly offered Congressman Joe Sestak a federal job in exchange for his withdrawal from the primary against incumbent U.S. Senator Arlen Specter.[1][2] Under American law, it is a federal crime to offer someone a federal position in exchange for favors.[3][4] If the allegations were proven true, it could be violation of the U.S. Criminal Code, Title 18.[5] In the aftermath of the allegation, Sestak remains a challenger to Specter, the five-term Democrat (formerly a moderate Republican) in the Pennsylvania State's May 18 primary elections.[6]
Joe Sestak's Job Offer
Joe Sestak alleges the Obama administration offered the second-term congressman a "high-ranking" job if he would abandon his primary challenge against Senator Arlen Specter. Both the accuser and the accused refuse to talk about the charges amid the growing Washington scandal.[6]
The American Spectator reported on the Jobsgate scandal, and how Sestak may be committing "misprision of a felony" simply by not reporting a federal crime to the proper authorities.
| “ | Jobsgate, as we call it here, refers to the emphatic charge of Congressman Joe Sestak, the Pennsylvania Democrat challenging Senator Arlen Specter for renomination, that someone (unnamed) in the Obama White House offered him a job if he would withdraw his candidacy. [...] Senator Arlen Specter, on Friday, said that making this offer, as Sestak claims was done, is a federal crime. And that Sestak may be committing "misprision of a felony" simply by not reporting a federal crime to the proper authorities.[3] | ” |
Andrew Romanoff's Job Offer
The Denver Post alleged that Obama White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina offered a high ranking job with foreign aid agency USAID to ex-Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff in exchange for dropping plans to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. [7] Romanoff turned down the overture and the White House endorsed Bennet. The White House would say that no job was ever offered to Romanoff and Romanoff declined to discuss any such communication with the White House.
Cover up
Sestak admitted he had been offered a job by the Obama administration if he were to withdrawal from the primary against incumbent U.S. Senator Arlen Specter. Sestak turned the alleged job down, but has declined to reveal who in the White House made the apparent offer. Reporters first started pressing White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on February 23 and had five exchanges with him by mid-March. On March 16, Gibbs finally provided the White House Press Corp with somewhat of an answer.
| “ | I'm told that whatever conversations have been had are not problematic. I think Congressman Sestak has discussed that this is -- whatever happened is in the past, and he's focused on his primary election.[5] | ” |
References
- ↑ Jeffrey Lord. Specter Opens Door on White House Felonies, The American Spectator, March 16, 2010.
- ↑ Tim Shoemaker. Jobsgate: Obama's Watergate?, Campaign For Liberty, March 18, 2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jeffrey Lord. Gibbs' Jobsgate Stonewall: Day 23, The American Spectator, March 18, 2010.
- ↑ Watergate to Jobsgate, VOX, March 17, 2010.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kimberly Schwandt. White House Press Corp vs. Gibbs on Sestak, Fox News, March 19, 2010.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 James Rosen. Anatomy of a Scandal: The Curious Case of Joe Sestak's Job Offer, FOXNews.com, Retrieved March 20, 2010.
- ↑ D.C. job alleged as attempt to deter Romanoff, Denver Post, September 27, 2009