NYT: Spending Inquiry for Top Official on Broadcasting(Tomlinson & Rove)

[Pirate Smile]

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 - Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, the head of the federal agency that oversees most government broadcasts to foreign countries, including the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, is the subject of an inquiry into accusations of misuse of federal money and the use of phantom or unqualified employees, officials involved in that examination said on Friday.

-snip-
People involved in the inquiry said that investigators had already interviewed a significant number of officials at the agency and that, if the accusations were substantiated, they could involve criminal violations.

In recent weeks, State Department investigators have seized records and e-mail from the Broadcasting Board of Governors, officials said. They have shared some material with the inspector general at the corporation, including e-mail traffic between Mr. Tomlinson and White House officials including Karl Rove, a senior adviser to President Bush and a close friend of Mr. Tomlinson.

Mr. Rove and Mr. Tomlinson became friends in the 1990's when they served on the Board for International Broadcasting, the predecessor agency to the board of governors. Mr. Rove played an important role in Mr. Tomlinson's appointment as chairman of the broadcasting board.

The content of the e-mail between the two officials has not been made public but could become available when the corporation's inspector general sends his report to members of Congress this month.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/05/politics/05broadcast.html?hp&ex=1131166800&en=19b2a34c9561ab7e&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[joemurphy]

1. We've gotta get this guy over to an Ethics Briefing immediately!

[grytpype]

2. Holy dog sh*t, this is incredible.

According to the article, one of the MANY things Tomlinson was busted for was hiring that idiot consultant who watched PBS and noted whether the shows were too liberal. Someone actually got busted for that shit, and it was Tomlinson himself.

And notice how the asshole hung around until the last possible minute, that's typical Repug tactics... if you get caught with your arm in the cookie jar, maintain your grip on power as long as possible!

I think if there's a serious Rove connection here it may be the last straw for ol Turdblossom. I can't wait to see those emails!!!!

[Pirate Smile]

3. It says they may come out this month when the report is given to Congress.

[MO_Dem]

4. When it rains, it pours

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Native]

20. It's like dominoes, once they start toppling....

[grytpype]

5. RECOMMENDED! This could be the last straw for Rove.

His boss is going down in flames thanks to him. And if this is serious, we might be sayin Bye Bye Turdblossom, real soon.

[Rene]

6. You know, in retrospect, we should have KNOWN this foul admin

was going down in flames. They've been too rotten to the core to survive much longer. there should be a clean sweep in the wh....kick all the bums out. Hope the damage they've done can be reversed. Lord help the next President who has to straighten out messes on EVERY conceivable front.

[dmr]

8. We did know, Rene, but we weren't too sure how it would happen

seeing that the Pugs hold the majority and worm their way into areas that should be nonpartisan.

I agree with you about the poor next president who has to straighten out the messes. If Kerry would have been elected a year ago, all these disasters would have been his and the Democrats fault. Shoot, they're blaming things on the Dems anyway.

I'm very happy that there are enough good and brave people left within our government willing to take these assholes to task.

[Erika]

7. This is a dupe from several hours earlier

It would be good if they were combined.

[WHAT]

9. Yeah.

:)

[Gelliebeans]

10. kicked and recommended. n/t

[rodeodance]

11. Spending Inquiry for Top Official on Broadcasting (Rove emails seized)

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/05/politics/05broadcast.html?hp&ex=1131166800&en=19b2a34c9561ab7e&ei=5094&partner=homepage
Spending Inquiry for Top Official on Broadcasting

By STEPHEN LABATON
Published: November 5, 2005

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 - Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, the head of the federal agency that oversees most government broadcasts to foreign countries, including the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, is the subject of an inquiry into accusations of misuse of federal money and the use of phantom or unqualified employees, officials involved in that examination said on Friday.

......

In recent weeks, State Department investigators have seized records and e-mail from the Broadcasting Board of Governors, officials said. They have shared some material with the inspector general at the corporation, including e-mail traffic between Mr. Tomlinson and White House officials including Karl Rove, a senior adviser to President Bush and a close friend of Mr. Tomlinson.

Mr. Rove and Mr. Tomlinson became friends in the 1990's when they served on the Board for International Broadcasting, the predecessor agency to the board of governors. Mr. Rove played an important role in Mr. Tomlinson's appointment as chairman of the broadcasting board.

The content of the e-mail between the two officials has not been made public but could become available when the corporation's inspector general sends his report to members of Congress this month........

[rodeodance]

12. propaganda.

......Mr. Tomlinson was ousted from the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting on Thursday after its inspector general concluded an investigation that was critical of him. That examination looked at his efforts as chairman of the corporation to seek more conservative programs on public radio and television.

But Mr. Tomlinson remains an important official as the chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The board, whose members include the secretary of state, plays a central role in public diplomacy. It supervises the government's foreign broadcasting operations, including Radio Martí, Radio Sawa and al-Hurra; transmits programs in 61 languages; and says it has more than 100 million listeners each week.

The board has been troubled lately over deep internal divisions and criticism of its Middle East broadcasts. Members of the Arab news media have said its broadcasts are American propaganda.........

[rodeodance]

13. 'we will be smarter on how we go about it"--says Tomlinson on Fox just

now. He and his lawyer were interviewed and said they will be vinicated of all wrongdoing and will back soon.

[liveoaktx]

24. AUDIO (MP3) of McCain's Floor Speech

Torture

[Nothing Without Hope]

14. Ah, the email traffic between Tomlinson and Rove - I WANT TO SEE IT!!!

Will it mention pushing Bill Moyers out? Will it show the Bush Administration trampling of press freedom and propagandizing every venue?

The corruption just keeps on spreading.

Cross-thread connection to an important related post:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5265023
thread title (11/4): Three Cheers for Bill Moyers - CPB Tomlinson resigns

Excerpt from the post about Bill Moyers:

He {Tomlinson} was able to push out Bill Moyers -

In an Op-Ed in the Washington Times, the chair of the CPB - Ken Tomlinson wrote "The image of the left-wing bias of "NOW" -- unchallenged by a balancing point of view on public broadcasting's Friday evening lineup -- was unhealthy. Indeed, it jeopardized essential support for public TV."

Bill Moyers speech -
Friends in Washington called to say that they had heard of muttered threats that the PBS reauthorization would be held up unless Moyers is dealt with. The Chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Kenneth Tomlinson, was said to be quite agitated. I didn’t know it at the time, but within two months after taking over, three months after taking over, he wrote a letter to PBS complaining about the unbalanced “NOW.”

[lanlady]

15. about Tomlinson

I had a slight dealing with him in the past, and I know people who worked for him in the 90s on the BIB. He's a sadistic, unprofessional, amoral s**thead of a human being. No wonder he's tight with Rove. Gotta love the smell of sizzling right-wing flesh in the morning. This spending inquiry is like my own personal Fitzmas!

:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:

[Warren Stupidity]

16. Culture of corruption!

We live in a Kleptocracy. The ruling party cannot keep its hands out of the till. Criminally incompetent, corruption and cronyism: the hallmark of a Republican administration.

[EFerrari]

17. where in the world did they find so many dishonest incompetent

people? I mean, think about it. What, is it contagious or something?

It's just mind boggling.

[Warren Stupidity]

18. Actually it is inevitable.

Their ideological view has and will always result in a corrupt collusion between private sector corporate thieves and their 'the market can do no wrong' friends in the Republican Party. It is always the fox in the henhouse when they are in charge from more than a few years.

[EFerrari]

19. I agree but still, just the sheer number of crooks and liars

who can't tie their shoes is just staggering.

[tanyev]

21. They are drawn to the Bush admin like moths to a flame.

They can't help themselves.

[EFerrari]

22. Swamp Rat or DA need to do a pod people graphic.

You must be right. There is no other explanation.

[liveoaktx]

23. Article also says Al Hurra is being investigated. That's the

propaganda station set up in this country for Arab-Americans. (Remember Bush going to Al-Hurra to sort of apologize for Abu Ghraib?)

Bush's Al Hurra interview