US Probes GSA Chief Lurita Doan
Post Chronicle
April 5, 2007, 2007

Federal investigators are looking into whether the head of the General Services Administration improperly engaged in partisan politics at government expense.

The Office of Special Counsel confirmed to ABC News it is looking into whether GSA head Lurita Doan violated a ban on using government resources for partisan politics, during a meeting that featured a presentation by a White House political operative on Republican election strategy.

At a January meeting held at a GSA facility, senior White House political aide Scott Jennings briefed Doan and other officials on GOP plans to win seats in Congress in 2008.

A House committee heard testimony last week from the GSA inspector general that witnesses alleged Doan encouraged others at the January meeting to look for ways the GSA could help "our candidates."

Doan testified that she did not recall saying that, and other witnesses interviewed by congressional investigators have backed her up, ABC reported.

The White House political office has given similar presentations at government facilities since at least 2002, two Los Angeles Times reporters write in the book, "One Party Country."

A GSA spokeswoman told ABC Doan was "fully complying" with the investigation. (c) UPI

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