House Judiciary Committee will hold hearing on the Office of Justice Programs.

Written by Biloxi
Mittwoch, 27 August 2008

On September 18, 2008, House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the Office of Justice Programs to "examine whether its grant making is in line with the best research and policies." According to crime subcommittee counsel Mario Dispenza, the hearing will include analysis of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention but not likely on the grant making process.

Read on from Newsinkling.org

Cronyism and favoritism within the BJA.

Pics are from documents from POGO.org. The following information is from POGO.org website:

Appendix G: FOIA Response No. 4, Decision Memorandum to Regina B. Schofield, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, through: Domingo S. Herraiz, Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance and James H. Burch, II, Deputy Director, Policy Office, Bureau of Justice Assistance from Pam Cammarata, Associate Deputy Director, Policy Office, Bureau of Justice Assistance, August 27, 2007.

In Appendix G, eleven were labeled as either “Previous Congressional Earmark” or “AAG Approved National Program.” Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services was called anti-gang initiative [see pic above]. It was labeled "Previous Congressional Earmark."

Appendix I: 2007 Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grant Awards, Bureau of Justice Assistance Website

In Appendix I, Ohio OCJS received a $296,168 FY2007 Byrne Discretionary Grant described as helping to aid the City of Columbus’ anti-gang initiative [see pic].

According to propublica.org: In 2007, Congress gave the Justice Department about $150 million for the Byrne program, along with the discretion to choose where to spend it. This policy broke away from Congress' previous tradition of allowing lawmakers to earmark the funds for thier favored groups.

Under Domingo Herraiz's leadership, it didn't happen that way. Of course, Herraiz has denied any wrong doing and point the finger to his staff who he claim made the grant decision making on Ohio OCJS. Sounds familiar. That is exactly what OJJDP Administrator Flores said about the grant decision making on the questionable grants funded to political and religious favorites.

What was Herraiz's prior position before being appointed as the Director of BJA?:

Herraiz, was a top official in the Ohio attorney general's office between the years 2000-03, running their Office of Criminal Justice Services. This was the time period roughly coincides with the Ohio "Coingate" scandal, when the state's pension fund, the Bureau of Worker's Compensation, invested millions in a rare coin fund managed by a prominent GOP fund-raiser. That scandal involved fraud with state money, political cronyism, alleged kickbacks and a federal investigation of illegal contributions to President Bush. GOP insider and fundraiser and Tom Noe was indicted, convicted, and sentenced to 27 months in prison.

In August 17, 2005, Ohio Governor Bob Taft [Herraiz's boss] was charged with four criminal misdemeanors stemming from his failure to disclose golf outings paid for by lobbyists, as well as some undisclosed gifts.

On July 10, 2003, Taft Announced of Herraiz from his position to Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). Click here to view Taft's press release. That same day, Bush announced his intent to nominate Herraiz as the Director of the BJA. Herraiz was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 8, 2004.

OJJDP scandal spreads to other Justice Department divisions.

Written by Biloxi
DIENSTAG, 22 JULI 2008

I have written about the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) scandal under the OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores. But, there are two other departments within the Justice Department that are not getting noticed in the media: The departments of Bureau of Justice Assistance and Office of the Assistant Attorney General.

More on the story from Newsinkling.org. Click here.