Uh-oh. Sludge saying FBI raids Obama Nominee Office and Arrests

[Laura PourMeADrink]

2 people!

Developing...

[vaberella]

1. Yeah, this is on the news. Not the Nominee but his subordinates. n/t

[Laura PourMeADrink]

2. do they know who?

[vaberella]

7. They didn't give names of who was arrested. n/t

[marmar]

3. Here's the story, from a better source than the Drudge Report:

Obama official not a target in FBI raid: spokesperson

By Andy Sullivan


WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The FBI raided the former office of Obama administration official Vivek Kundra and arrested two people in a corruption probe on Thursday, but Kundra is not a target of the investigation, a spokeswoman for Washington's mayor said.

The FBI searched the offices of the District of Columbia's chief technology officer, a post formerly held by Kundra, as it investigates employee corruption there, spokeswoman Mafara Hobson said.

President Barack Obama named Kundra, 34, last week to be the federal government's chief information officer, responsible for overseeing the government's computer systems.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs called the investigation a "serious matter" and declined further comment.

Yusuf Acar, who works in the city's technology office, and another man, Sushil Bansal, were arrested, FBI spokeswoman Lindsay Godwin said. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090312/pl_nm/us_obama_kundra_raid

[Adelante]

4. Nominee is not a target

Two employees are under investigation for corruption.

At least two employees of the District of Columbia's Office of the Chief Technology Officer were arrested today, as FBI agents conducted a search in what several law enforcement officials say is a corruption investigation.

The former head of the office, Vivek Kundra, was just last week named by the president to be Chief Information Officer for the Obama administration, but officials say he was not a target of the investigation.

The FBI vetted his White House appointment. If he had been thought to be involved in any corruption at that point, it would have been flagged, one official says. But, the official cautions, who knows where the investigation will go from here?

The D.C. office searched today handles all of the city's computer contracting and maintains many city records, including the terms of local government contracts.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/03/12/1833992.aspx

[w4rma]

5. Yet. I bet this has something to do with cheating on visa applications. (nt)

[Adelante]

6. I don't see why you think that

It has to do with the DC government and technology contracts, as I understand it. WaPo has more detail.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/12/AR2009031201426.html

[vaberella]

8. Correct. I kept thinking Marine One when they were talking. n/t

[vaberella]

9. You're wrong. Nothing to do with that. It was some sort of tech breaching of some kind. n/t

[w4rma]

11. It looks like I may have been right: '"ghost employees," who did no work, the source said.' (nt)

[babylonsister]

10. 2 men charged after FBI searches office once lead by Obama technology official

And iirc, Acar worked in the DC mayor's office before being hired by the Obama admin.


2 charged after search of DC tech office

2 men charged after FBI searches office once lead by Obama technology official

DEVLIN BARRETT
AP News

Mar 12, 2009 15:20 EST

A District of Columbia employee and a technology consultant have been hit with corruption charges after a raid on the former office of a city official who now works for President Barack Obama.

The charges were formalized in a federal court hearing as the FBI finished searching the city's technology office, which was led until recently by Obama's new computer chief, Vivek Kundra.

Ysuf Acar, a city technology worker, was ordered held without bond pending a hearing Tuesday. Prosecutors said $70,000 in cash was found during a search of Acar's home.

Technology consultant Sushil Bansal was released but was ordered not to engage in overseas financial transactions. Bansal is due back in court on April 21.

Acar worked under Kundra, Obama's pick to coordinate federal computer systems.

more...

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/03/2_charged_after_search_of_dc_tech_office.php?ref=fp3