Senators ask GSA chief to resign

Two Democratic senators on Monday called for the head of the General Services Administration to resign in light of "multiple ethical lapses."

Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said GSA Administrator Lurita Doan should leave on her own or President Bush should fire her, because she misunderstands her role as chief of the government's contracting and property management arm. The lawmakers cited allegations that Doan broke the Hatch Act, a law limiting political activity in government agencies, through her role in a Jan. 26 meeting at GSA headquarters.

The meeting, conducted by a deputy of White House political adviser Karl Rove and attended by Doan, "crossed the line," the senators said. Six attendees have claimed that at that the meeting's conclusion, Doan asked how GSA could help "our candidates in the next election."

Doan has repeatedly said she does not remember the details of the meeting. She is under investigation by the Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal agency that enforces the Hatch Act. Experts are divided over whether she actually committed a violation.

The inquiry has opened up a larger investigation by Democrats into whether similar meetings have taken place in other federal agencies.

"This is not a town where these kinds of briefings in a federal agency, in the middle of the day, using video conferencing, is good behavior," Dorgan told reporters.

"In less than a year, Ms. Doan has shredded her own credibility," Wyden said. "Good government and accountability are nowhere to be found at the General Services Administration under Ms. Doan's tenure. It's time for her to go."

In a two-page April 23 letter to White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten, 24 Democratic senators and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., asked the White House to condemn the meeting and Doan's alleged statements, and begin answering questions about the matter. The senators, many in the party's leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., asked if the White House considers the presentation appropriate and if the White House counsel approved it. They wanted to know whether similar meetings have taken place and why the January meeting was set up using an e-mail account of the Republican National Committee.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who has been conducting his own investigation of Doan's alleged misconduct, said in a statement that he is glad Dorgan and Wyden are taking an interest in the matter. But Grassley did not join their call for Doan's resignation.

"Administrator Doan's apparent actions are troubling, and we will continue digging until we determine what went wrong here," Grassley said in a statement.

Wyden also cited claims Doan has attempted to undermine GSA's inspector general, and said "her riding roughshod over career professionals" to award a questionable contract to Sun Microsystems concerns him the most.

Additionally, Wyden noted the GSA chief's attempt to issue a $20,000 no-bid contract to personal friend Edie Fraser of Public Affairs Group Inc.

"I think it was such a troubling case of where she was advised repeatedly to stay clear of this," Wyden said. "Essentially the nonpolitical individuals said this was over the line; you have to stay clear of it, yet the effort went on."

Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, last week expressed concern that if Doan resigns, the investigation into issues at GSA would stop.

Over the last two weeks, the White House press office has refused to issue a statement in support of Doan. A spokesman has said repeatedly that the White House does not comment on personnel matters. The White House press office did not return calls Monday for comment on the request for Doan's resignation or dismissal.

A spokesman for GSA said earlier this month that Doan had not been asked to resign by the White House.

The agency released a statement Monday that did not address the call for Doan's resignation directly. It said that she "remains greatly optimistic about the future of the General Services Administration and is humbled and honored to serve the president and the American people in leading this great agency."

The statement said Doan's commitment to fiscal discipline and effective government has never been stronger, and "she looks forward to continuing successes in the days ahead."