Jim McElhatton
Articles by Jim McElhatton
Justice Department refuses info on hundreds of prosecutor misconduct cases
Hundreds of federal prosecutors over the past decade have committed serious misconduct, but the Justice Department has refused to release the names of the offenders, according to a report released Thursday. Published March 13, 2014
‘Compromised’ keys cost Treasury Department big bucks
IRS officials disclosed that keys at two leased Treasury Department buildings in Washington have been "compromised," and the agency has signed off on an emergency no-bid contract for a locksmith to change hundreds of locks. Published March 12, 2014
Thompson plea raises questions about his old accounting firm
Known as the infamous political rainmaker who admitted to subverting elections in the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions with more than $2 million in questionable campaign cash, Jeffrey E. Thompson earned at least part of his fortune winning contracts scrubbing the financial books of government agencies. Published March 11, 2014
Judge dismisses KBR’s attempt to divert legal bills on sickened troops in Iraq to taxpayers
A federal judge last week dismissed a lawsuit by contractor KBR that had argued the taxpayers should pay millions of dollars in legal bills rung up by the company as it defended itself against other lawsuits accusing it of wrongdoing. Published March 10, 2014
Bill Clinton cashes in on struggling nonprofit hospital
Bill Clinton accepted a $225,000 speaking fee from the nonprofit Washington Hospital Center smack in the middle of two big rounds of layoffs in 2012 — one of a number of tax-exempt organizations that have paid big money to hear the former president talk. Published March 6, 2014
Fate of Alex Cho, cooperator in bribery case, uncertain after Justice Department reneges on promises
In a court filing this week, his attorney says the Justice Department now is reneging on key promises prosecutors made to his client to secure his cooperation in the first place — including helping him avoid deportation. Published March 5, 2014
Ex-Time executive gets ethics waiver to communicate with press
The Obama administration is waiving its ethics rules for former Time magazine managing editor turned State Department official Richard Stengel, one of a half dozen officials at Foggy Bottom who have received special exemptions from provisions aimed at cracking down on the revolving door between special interests and government. Published March 4, 2014
Another government conference under scrutiny over costs
Just weeks after President Obama expressed outrage in 2012 over lavish conference spending by federal employees, the government laid out more than $1.1 million for another gathering in Florida that involved free food, alcohol and live entertainment. Published March 4, 2014
HUD improper lobbying probe focus shifts to Mincberg
Congressional scrutiny into improper lobbying at the Department of Housing and Urban Development shifted Wednesday from a Virginia cabinet secretary nominee to a high-ranking political appointee at HUD accused of threatening investigators. Published February 26, 2014
Resume from Homeland Security nominee Marrone glosses over work for convicted Pennsylvania pol
The resume Christian Marrone submitted to the government to win his job as Homeland Security Department chief of staff glosses over his five years working as an aide to a convicted Pennsylvania state senator that led him to become the central witness in the trial that sent his former boss to prison. Published February 25, 2014
Terry McAuliffe’s commerce secretary, Maurice Jones, is under federal investigation
An internal federal probe has concluded that Maurice Jones, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe's new commerce secretary, improperly lobbied Congress while he was in the Obama administration last year. Published February 24, 2014
Report: Outsourcing real estate puts Postal Service at risk
The money-losing U.S. Postal Service has put itself at financial risk by outsourcing its vast real estate sales and lease brokering to a company that can represent parties on both ends of deals, according to a new watchdog report. Published February 20, 2014
Politicians yet to return big money from Stanford’s Ponzi scam
Five years after R. Allen Stanford's investment companies collapsed in an infamous multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme, records show that the receiver charged with recouping money for victims still is chasing a long list of politicians. Published February 19, 2014
DHS official Marrone used private eye to spy on future Pennsylvania governor Rendell
When his past in a Pennsylvania corruption case surfaced recently, Homeland Security chief of staff Christian Marrone's defenders insisted he was a victim of a crooked politician who took advantage of his inexperience. Some even suggested that Mr. Marrone was a whistleblower for helping prosecutors convict his former boss. Published February 17, 2014
GOP lawmakers press Obama admin on background check of Homeland aide tied to Pa. scandals
Top congressional Republicans want the Obama administration to turn over background-check records on the Department of Homeland Security’s new chief of staff, Christian Marrone, citing ethics questions tied to a Pennsylvania political scandal. Published February 12, 2014
White House doubles down on Homeland aide tied to Pa. scandals
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a House subcommittee chairman, said that his investigators have begun reviewing how a key figure in a Pennsylvania corruption case landed the chief of staff's job at the Homeland Security Department. Published February 3, 2014
New Homeland official was key figure in Pennsylvania corruption case
EXCLUSIVE: Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson's newest appointee to his inner circle, chief of staff Christian Marrone, rose to Washington power player via the streets of Pennsylvania's pay-to-play politics. Published February 2, 2014
Cyber attack hits federal judiciary websites, filing systems
Websites, electronic filing and public record access systems for much of the federal judiciary were attacked Friday afternoon, leaving lawyers hard pressed to meet deadlines and officials scrambling to restore service. Published January 24, 2014
Background check firm accused of bilking government of millions
The company that performs the bulk of background checks for federal agencies — including the cases of Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis and National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden — cheated the government out of millions of dollars by claiming it completed still unfinished investigations, the Justice Department has charged. Published January 23, 2014
Justice Department: Firm that vetted Snowden, Navy Yard shooter cheated government
Even as the federal government’s largest contractor for background-security checks was bilking taxpayers out of millions of dollars, it was getting big performance bonuses from the agency overseeing its work, the Justice Department said in a new court filing this week. Published January 23, 2014
