IMPEACH BUSH

WASHINGTON — Federal investigators have written a sharply worded critique of the beleaguered chief of the General Services Administration, Lurita Alexis Doan, accusing her of violating the law by improperly attempting to use her agency to help Republican political candidates.

"The GSA administrator displayed no reservations in her willingness to commit GSA resources, including its human capital, to the Republican Party," the report says. "Her actions constitute an obvious misuse of her official authority and were made for the purpose of affecting the result of an election."

The report, which has not been released, focused on a meeting in which a White House political aide briefed Doan's staff after the 2006 congressional elections. At the January meeting, attended by about three dozen agency managers, Doan asked: "What can we do to help our candidates?" according to the report.

The report was prepared by the Office of Special Counsel, the government investigative body charged with monitoring the Hatch Act and other restrictions on federal employees' political activities. The report, a copy of which was obtained by The Times, is not expected to be released until next month.

The investigators' conclusions have been submitted to Doan for comment.

Her attorney, Michael J. Nardotti Jr., said he and his client "disagree with the report's conclusions," and specifically "have concerns about its approach and tone." He also said it was "tremendously unfair" that information in a confidential investigative process was leaked publicly.

The report uses harsh language and may foreshadow the approach the little-known office will take in upcoming investigations of other agencies and other possible Hatch Act violations.

Describing Doan's activities, it said: "One can imagine no greater violation of the Hatch Act than to invoke the machinery of an agency, with all its contracts and buildings, in the service of a partisan campaign to retake the Congress."

Doan has until June 1 to respond. After that, the report and Doan's response will be forwarded to President Bush.

Doan told the investigators that she did not remember much of the Jan. 26 lunch meeting attended by three dozen or so GSA employees, including some who participated from remote offices via telephone and video links.

The featured speaker that day was J. Scott Jennings, an aide to presidential advisor Karl Rove. Jennings' presentation to the political appointees included slides on the 2006 midterm results and the outlook for 2008, including a list of battleground races for the House, the Senate and governorships.

Numerous employees testified later under oath that Doan had asked: How can we help "our candidates?"

The Los Angeles Times has reported that similar PowerPoint presentations were made by Rove and other White House officials at nearly every other Cabinet agency, except the Defense and Justice departments. During such presentations, employees said they got a not-so-subtle message about helping endangered Republicans. In the past, the White House has said that such informational briefings for political appointees do not breach the Hatch Act.

Doan's inability to remember the presentation by her White House guest at the January meeting is contrasted in the report with her vivid recall of other specifics that day. The report concludes that she violated the Hatch Act, which generally prohibits the use of federal resources for campaign purposes.

"Administrator Doan's violation is further aggravated by her failure to take responsibility for her actions and her lack of remorse in violating the Hatch Act," the report says.

In addition to the special counsel inquiry, Doan has been questioned by a congressional panel and the GSA inspector general over an allegation that she sought to provide a no-bid contract to a friend. She has denied wrongdoing.

tom.hamburger@latimes.com