-Caveat Lector-
>From http://www.rollcall.com/newsscoops/3rdscoop.html
House Clerk's Office Shake-up Continues
Two Assistant Clerks Fired After Carle Resignation
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By Ethan Wallison
Two top officials at the House Clerk's office were fired this week in the
wake of a December audit that contained allegations of poor to lax
management at the chamber's key procedural division.
Ray Strong and Julie Perrier, both assistant clerks, were key lieutenants
under House Clerk Robin Carle, who resigned last month in the aftermath of
an inspector general's audit.
The audit focused on lax management practices throughout the office. It
also led to a referral to the House ethics committee of potential charges
against Carle, who was alleged to have used a House credit card to pay for
hundreds of dollars in personal expenses.
Carle was also alleged to have used staff at the Clerk's office for
personal errands, which would constitute a felony.
While the ethics committee loses jurisdiction once a potential target of an
investigation leaves Congress, it can refer information that suggests
criminal wrongdoing to federal law enforcement entities for possible
prosecution.
Ethics committee chief counsel Ted Van Der Meid refused to discuss any
details related to the Carle matter.
A knowledgeable source said the firings of the two assistant clerks were
not related to the alleged malfeasance by Carle, but were part of a larger
shake-up at the Clerk's office, where management problems have been cited
for more than a year.
Deputy Clerk Jeff Trandahl, who made the firings, has been appointed
interim Clerk while a replacement for Carle is sought. The fired aides did
not respond to phone inguiries.
House Democrats, who only Tuesday received a copy of the Nov. 24 ethics
committee referral, were agitated by what they claimed were conspicuous
efforts to keep them uninformed about the extent of the problems at the
Clerk's office.
They charged that Republicans had tried to gloss over the problems in order
to avoid embarrassment similar to that which followed revelations of
malfeasance by former Chief Administrative Officer Scott Faulkner two years
ago.
"The whole IG thing was set up when we were in the majority, because
[then-Rep.] Newt Gingrich [R-Ga.] and the others were complaining about the
way we were running this place," said one Democratic leadership aide.
"Here, they have clearly corrupted the process."
A senior Republican aide disputed the allegations, contending that
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee were kept informed at every
stage of the audit process.
The aide said no access should have been given to the ethics committee
referral.
Carle, 42, who was the first female Clerk in the history of the House,
declined to respond to repeated inquiries, citing the ongoing ethics
matter.
Through an associate, she released a statement to Roll Call yesterday
saying she took "full responsibility" for "various operational concerns,
specifically certain expense reports" cited by the inspector general.
Carle said she has reimbursed the government for $619 in questionable
expenses. She did not address the allegations that she had misused staff at
the Clerk's office.
The IG report, which was released Dec. 16, 1998, painted a picture of a
Clerk's office laggard in numerous basic management areas.
Among other things, the report noted that Carle had failed to establish any
policies and procedures for the use of government vehicles and computer
equipment. There were also no procedures established for the use of two
government charge cards -- an American Express card meant for travel
expenses and an Exxon card meant for gas.
"Specifically, there is no guidance prohibiting personal use of such
resources," said the report, which was prepared by John Lainhart, the
inspector general. "Without adequate policies and procedures in this area,
the Office of the Clerk is vulnerable to abuse and misuse."
Elsewhere, the audit refers to an anonymous "manager" who reported that no
staff meetings had been held in more than a year.
The ethics referral was unavailable but some of its details were made
available through sources who had read the material.
Among other things, Carle was alleged in the referral to have used a
staffer to put up her Christmas tree and to fill out paperwork for an
adoption she sought, according to sources who also said the referral cites
routine absenteeism by the Clerk throughout the last year of her tenure.
Carle was appointed Clerk following the GOP's ascension to the majority in
1994.
A Carle associate said the irregularities associated with Carle's use of a
House credit card stemmed from her decision to forgo the chauffeur-driven
Town Car available to House officers in favor of her Jeep, which she also
used for personal matters.
Carle retained the chauffeur and wound up driving the Jeep for personal use
on gas charged by the chauffeur for public business, according to the
associate.
Under House rules, matters relating to financial irregularities and other
similar improprieties are required to be forwarded to the ethics committee
for review. a
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