$100 Million Federal Deal for Fmr. Obama Admin. Crony
Steve Peacock, WND.com
A nonprofit whose vice president is a former Obama administration official has secured a nearly $100 million government contract in Afghanistan, raising concerns with at least one former U.S. State Department insider.
The executive team at International Relief & Development, or IRD, an Arlington, Va.-based organization, includes Alonzo L. Fulgham, whom President Obama in January 2009 had appointed as acting director of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The ex-State Department source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, lamented the revolving door process of officials moving between the public and private sectors, asserting that the potential for waste and abuse is immense.
Specific to Fulgham’s role as IRD VP in the context of the Afghanistan contract, the source said “there is nothing inherently illegal or unethical about it,” but still decried the arrangement as “questionable.”
Congressman Smith: Obama Violating Law to Influence Kenyan Vote
By Rep. Chris Smith (This article is a transcript of a speech given by Smith at a press conference today)
Two weeks from today, millions of Kenyans will go to the polls either to affirm or reject a sweeping new constitution in a nationwide plebiscite.
In the run up to this referendum—just like any other election— the United States and other democracies have a profoundly important, but narrow role to play. And that is to ensure to the greatest extent possible that the plebiscite—referendum—is free, fair and peaceful.
Election monitoring is a hallowed process designed to protect the integrity and legitimacy of the voting process before, on the day of actual balloting and during certification of the results.
Thus the only legitimate role of the United States and other governments is ensuring that the August 4th Constitutional referendum in Kenya is free, fair and without violence.
Under no circumstances should the U.S. government take sides by supporting, facilitating and funding projects designed to identify and motivate votes for either side.
Yet that is precisely what the Obama Administration has done.
And because the proposed Constitution significantly alters existing abortion law in Kenya, expending U.S. federal funds in support of the “Yes” campaign is also illegal.
Today, my colleagues and I note with alarm, shock and dismay that the evidence gathered by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Inspector General (IG) Donald Gambatesa clearly shows that the Obama Administration has funded Read more
Congressman: Obama buying votes in Kenya
By Jerome R. Corsi, World Net Daily
The Obama administration is buying votes in Kenya, charges Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health.
WND reported Monday the Obama administration has funded $23 million of U.S. taxpayer dollars through the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, to support the passage of a Kenyan constitutional referendum Aug. 4 that would increase access to abortions and authorize the operation of Islamic law tribunals in the East African nation.
In a statement issued by his office yesterday, Smith charged that several Kenyan groups receiving USAID money had been given specific quotas built into their USAID contracts requiring the grantees to each produce 20,000 "yes" votes for the Aug. 4 referendum.
"A chart produced by USAID’s inspector-general shows that 60 sub-recipients got funds for activities that include transportation, fuel, road shows, voter ID and ‘yes’ vote ‘buy in’ for professional elites," Smith said.
"It is unconscionable that U.S. taxpayers are subsidizing a massive one-sided political campaign thinly disguised as ‘civic education’ in another sovereign nation," the congressman said. "It is a very bad precedent and it is illegal."
Update: Obama has now spent $23 Million backing Pro-Abortion Kenyan Constitution
By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com
A new report issued by the Inspector General (IG) for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) reveals the Obama administration has spent over $23 million for activities in Kenya to influence voters there to support a new constitution that would allow virtually unlimited abortions.
The nation currently protects women and unborn children from abortions, but a constitution voters will consider on August 4 would change the historic pro-life laws of the African nation.
Rep. Chris Smith, a key pro-life congressman who is the Ranking Member of the Africa and Global Health Subcommittee, has been working with other lawmakers and the IG’s office to investigate grants the Obama administration has provided to Kenyan groups promoting the Yes vote campaign for the new constitution.
In a new report Smith released to LifeNews.com on Friday, he says U.S. taxpayers are now footing the bill for those pro-abortion efforts to the tune of $23 million, far above previous estimates.
Previous estimates had indicated that $2 million was being spent, then that was updated to $11 million and now the figure identified by the IG’s office exceeds $23 million, he said.
