Smithsonian Secretary Sets Sail

In what can hardly be characterized as surprising news, Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lawrence M. Small has resigned. Small has been under fire ever since an internal audit in January concluded that he had made $90,000 in unauthorized expenses. Last week, CongressDaily reported on a Senate vote to withhold a $17 million increase in the Smithsonian's budget until the Budget Committee determined that certain conditions related to the secretary's spending had been met. Cristian Samper, director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, has been appointed acting secretary while the Smithsonian's Board of Regents searches for a permanent replacement.