FBI Searches New Fed CIO Kundra's Former Offices

CWmike writes "While new federal CIO Vivek Kundra gave a speech here this morning on his vision for the US government's use of technology, the FBI conducted a search of the District of Columbia's IT offices — where Kundra worked until last week — and arrested an employee and another person who works for an outsourcing vendor, say reports. There was no indication that Kundra was connected in any way to the FBI's raid, which was part of a bribery sting operation. And if Kundra was aware of what was going on at his former offices or concerned about the raid, it wasn't evident during his speech at FOSE 2009, a trade show focused on government IT. The FBI would not comment on the reports. President Barack Obama last week appointed Kundra to be the federal government's first official CIO."

Comments

Choices...

[Amazing Quantum Man]

Is Obama just making really bad choices, or is everyone at that high a level in .gov just corrupt?

Re:Choices...

[causality]

Is Obama just making really bad choices, or is everyone at that high a level in .gov just corrupt?

They're puppets who may or may not falsely believe that they have anything like a will of their own or ideas of their own. The real political power is not the President but the corporations and old-money families who put him into office. They don't put a President into office unless he has views that they find to be either favorable or convenient. That's not a conspiracy theory so much as a proposition that entrenched power tends to act in its own interests, and as such, it should be self-evident.

I cannot prove this but I will offer some speculation: the more I have heard of his speeches and his intentions and his beliefs, the more I think that John F. Kennedy was a fluke. He was a fluke because he really did want to represent the people and not the interests that got him into office. I believe that is why he was assassinated -- to those interests, this represented a betrayal or a "double-crossing" and they made an example. Certainly the Mafia could arrange such an event, and I will say that I believe that the monied interests who truly run this country make the Mafia look like a bunch of amateurs, though they prefer to buy people off rather than use brute force. Most people's princples are indeed for sale if the price is high enough, and they know this because they know what corruption is. It's just that occasionally there comes someone who cannot be bought and against whom they don't have some other form of leverage.

I apologize that I do not know the time or place, but this is a quote from a speech delivered by JFK:

The very word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society. And we are, as a people, inherently and historically, opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths, and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweigh the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in ensuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. That I do not intend to permit, to the extent that it's in my control. And no official of my administration, whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes, or to withhold from the press or public the facts they deserve to know.

An open government of the sort he advocated is quite terrifying to the powers behind the throne. So, I think Obama or any other President probably cannot help but to make bad choices or to have corruption. Even if he himself is a sincere man, he is working within a system that is not designed for sincerity.

Re:Choices...

[mi]

I cannot prove this but I will offer some speculation: the more I have heard of his speeches and his intentions and his beliefs, the more I think that John F. Kennedy was a fluke.

Just like JFK, Barack Obama is a product of Chicago Political Machine(TM) — easily the most corrupt local political system in the nation (think Blagojevich)... I'd rather JFK and Obama were both flukes — having the nation's President come from such gutters as a rule is rather disgraceful...

So, I think Obama or any other President probably cannot help but to make bad choices or to have corruption. Even if he himself is a sincere man, he is working within a system that is not designed for sincerity.

Were you as forgiving towards the previous President? More importantly, were the moderators?

List of Obama appointees who've had to withdraw

[FleaPlus]

For future reference, the list so far:

• Bill Richardson: grand jury investigation for influence peddling
• Tom Daschle: tax evasion
• Nancy Killefer: tax lien on home for failing to pay unemployment tax for household workers
• Judd Gregg: political differences over stimulus plan
• Annette Nazareth: reason unspecified
• Caroline Atkinson: reason for withdrawal not specified
• Sanjay Gupta: reason unspecified

People who haven't withdrawn, but have had major issues:

• Hilda Solis: husband has 16 years of tax liens against his business
• Tim Geithner: tax problems
• Gary Locke: potentially-suspicious fund-raising history
• Ron Kirk: failed to pay $10,000 in back taxes

Will Vivek Kundra be next on the list?

Re:List of Obama appointees who've had to withdraw

[Enderandrew]

I've been told in Australia, members of Parliament are very well paid to encourage bright minds to work in government (as opposed to private sector failures), but at the same time, it is illegal for them to take any outside money.

Ross Perot suggested such a system a few years ago, and Congress responded by keeping him out of public debates.

People wonder why the government is so poorly run, and why our economy has issues, but when successful businessmen with a good mind for economics suggest common sense changes (like Forbes and Perot) Congress tries their best to make sure you never hear of it.

Everyone is caught up in the spin that the right is evil, or the left is evil to the point that they miss the message. No one in Washington is working for you. They all protect themselves and their special interests.

My concern is that there is so much hope and trust placed in an Obama administration, that Americans will tune out and assume everything is going to be fine.

No matter the leader, a democracy is best served with informed voters who pressure their government to serve them.

Re:Offtopic topic?

[ptbarnett]

Not, it's got nothing to do with Dems or Repubs.

No, it doesn't. But, the GP's point is correct: if this had been a member of Bush's administration, this article would already have 500 comments of wailing about how it was Bush's fault, Cheney's fault, and the fault of neo-cons, the Illuminati, FBI, CIA, RIAA, MPAA, etc....

Can you say "partisan"? I knew you could.

Re:Sigh...

[thrillseeker]

there does seem to be an early stigma on Obama's appointees

Q: What is the difference between Jesus and Obama?

A: Jesus could build a cabinet.