>>> a house hearing has just started investigating the spending scandal rocking the general services administration . that's a government agency dedicated to preventing the kind of waitful spending they are accused of. it all stems from a lavish conference in las vegas that cost taxpayers nearly $1 million.
>> the life of a rock star and i got to say ain't no place better
>> the vegas conference including that little rap video you just saw, a mind reader and other quote/unquote entertainment. the gsa official is seen here. this is jeff neely, you're at. he has been subpoenaed to testify and he has invoked his right to remain silent.
>> mr. neely, did you attend the 2010 western regional conference in las vegas ? ? mr. children on the advice of my counsel, i decline to answer based on my constitutional privilege.
>>> did you approve the funding for the 2010 western regional conference?
>> mr. chairman, on the advice of my koup, i respectfully decline to answer based upon my fifth amendment constitutional privilege.
>> nbc correspondent kelly o'donnell joins us live. people were expecting fire work. we've heard already at least one apology.
>> several already. and there is a lot of tension here. the anger that is being directed at some of the people who may have responsibility for this vast misuse of taxpayer money are on the hot seat . one of those people is martha johnson . she had been in charge of the agency. not at the time when the conference occurred but for enough time, some of the lawmakers believe, to really think she might have done more to try to unearth this. also, questions about approval for bonuses of some of the employees who were involved in this at a time when some of the investigation was already going on. now, martha johnson resigned her position and today she was quite apologetic.
>> i personally apologize to the american people as the head of the agency, i am responsible. i deeply regret this. i will mourn for the rest of my life the loss of my appointment.
>> and we also heard from one of the people who was seen on the videos. his name is david foley . he apologized to the public, his colleagues, the administration, and in particular, to d.c. delegate eleanor holmes norton . he talked about her in a very joking way in the video about oversight. the kind of event we have happening right now. so he was apologetic. what is happening is a kind of a different tone here than we see day to day . there is a very strong showing of bipartisanship. darrell issa from california chairs this hearing. elijah cummings , a democrat of maryland, is the number two on the committee. they've been working very closely on this. and speaking in almost one voice saying they don't want immune for jeff neely, the man who was first on the hot seat . and believing there is a lot more to uncover here. not just this one conference but they've already elicited testimony saying this has been going on for years.
>> what's behind the bipartisan tone? it is so rare, especially when you have people trying to politicize everything.
>> and always looking for a way to jockey for position. we see that so often. i think this is a case of the behavior that has been seen here on video tame and alleged in these reports, is so egregious. a misuse of taxpayer dollars. at a time when on the senate side, they're debating, trying to increase taxes or people at home are filing their taxes with the deadline tomorrow. the misuse of taxpayers' money is something both parties can get behind. while that seems pretty ordinary an assumption, the tone today is that unusual bipartisanship that we don't see very often on top of a hearing that's already producing some very tense moments.
>> we'll keep an eye on it. thank you so much.
bedlam bedlam cotto vs margarito 2 cotto vs margarito cotto vs margarito miguel cotto cotto
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.