Democratic congressional staffers investigating the firing
of AmeriCorps inspector general Gerald Walpin asked
tough questions of an agency lawyer who refused to discuss
White House involvement in the case, a source familiar with
the investigation tells the Spectator.
Byron York reported this morning in the Washington
Examiner that Frank Trinity, general counsel for
the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) --
parent agency of the AmeriCorps government
volunteer program -- "refused to answer questions from
congressional investigators" Monday, when he was asked about
the White House's role in last month's firing of Walpin.
Trinity told congressional staffers that he was "not authorized"
to discuss White House involvement in the June 10
quit-or-be-fired ultimatum to Walpin, the Spectator's
source said. Democratic staffers were clearly annoyed by
Trinity's non-response and questioned him about his reasons for
not answering.
So far, the source said, interviews with "key board
members" at CNCS contradict White House special counsel
Norman Eisen's assertion that the June 10 firing followed an
"extensive review" at the request of the CNCS board. Board
members have told congressional investigators that "they weren't
contacted [by the White House] until after the decision was
made," the source said.
The 30-day window for congressional review of the IG's dismissal
-- required under a law co-sponsored by then-Sen. Barack Obama --
is due to expire Friday. A spokeswoman for Sen. Joe
Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and
Government Affairs, said there has not yet been a decision on
whether to hold hearings on the AmeriCorp IG firing.
