Written by SP Biloxi
Not necessary. Last year, J. Robert Flores, former OJJDP Administrator, violated the ethic rules in grant giving practices according to the Inspector General Glenn Fine's report. Flores was not charged criminally nor civil by the Public Integrity Section ofthe Justice Department. I had wonder if the Oversight Reform Committee was going to closed the case on the OJJDP probe. Wrong. The case can be relooked again. Here is what I found on the Oversight Reform Committee under the catagory of Investigations:
As set forth in House Rule X, clause 4, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform may, at any time, conduct investigations of any matter regardless of whether another standing committee has jurisdiction over the matter.
Not very good for Flores since I reported that Flores recently started an consulting firm. And under the catagory of investigations, the committee listed catagories of many investigations that are current and past that hasn't been closed. Under the catagory of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse, there are alot of investigations from that catagory and the Improper Grantmaking by the OJJDP misappropiated $4.4 million dollars appeared in that catagory. Click here to view the file.
Finally, I wanted to add that I emailed Senator Patrick Leahy last year concerning the OJJDP probe since the Senate committee was asking for answers and written a letter to then Attorney Michael Mukasey. I am not sure if Senator Leahy and the Senate committee will revisit the OJJDP probe again. Here was Senator Leahy's response to me in a email:
From: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
To: ******@*******.***
Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 12:10:34 PM
Subject: From Senator Patrick Leahy
Dear **********:
Thank you for contacting me about my oversight request regarding Office of Juvenile Justice Prevention grant award policies. I appreciate hearing from you and apologize for the delay of my response.
On June 27, 2008, I sent a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey asking for information on how the Office of Juvenile Justice Prevention awards its grants after several reports surfaced in the press that the Department of Justice was awarding grants to groups that scored lower than less politically-connected organizations. On July 8, 2008, the Department of Justice replied to my letter informing me that they would provide 15,000 pages of documents that outline the grant process. On July 25, they delivered 14,960 pages that my staff and I have begun to examine in great detail.
Juvenile justice grant programs are essential federal programs that help state and local governments improve their programs to help our nation's youth stay out of trouble and avoid a downward spiral of crime and punishment as they get older. Oversight of these programs is equally important, and that is why I requested these documents and will work to ensure that these important programs are administered properly going forward.
Additionally, last year, I introduced the bipartisan Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2008 with Senators Specter and Kohl. This bill would reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 through 2013 while encouraging states and local governments to keep young offenders out of adult prisons, where studies show they are more likely to learn and act upon criminal behavior. The bill passed the Judiciary Committee on July 31, 2008, but unfortunately, the Senate was unable address the bill before the 110th Congress ended. You can be assured that I will reintroduce this legislation early in the new Congress and build upon the significant progress that was made last year.
I have attached a copy of the Department of Justice's July 8 letter. Unfortunately, I cannot attach the nearly 15,000 documents they later provided, but I will continue to work diligently on this issue and make sure the Office of Juvenile Justice Prevention is administered fairly, regardless of the administration in charge.
Thank you again for your letter. Please keep in touch.
PATRICK LEAHY
United States Senator
Leahy file -
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