An internal review of former inspector general Gerald Walpin has found he did not exceed his authority while investigating the non-profit foundation St. HOPE established by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a political ally of President Barack Obama. Walpin, who was fired over the summer by Obama, now wants his old job back at the Corporation for National and Community Service, which operates the AmeriCorps program.

“It certainly is a vindication that I and my office–and it was mainly my office, the career staff–acted properly in connection with the investigation into St. HOPE,” Walpin told The Sacramento Bee. “It takes away any basis belatedly set forth by the White House as a reason for my termination.”

Walpin’s audit of St. HOPE focused on the expenditure of more than $800,000 from AmeriCorps. The fact that Walpin conducted his investigation during Johnson’s reelection campaign in 2008 raised suspicions that the probe was politically motivated. Johnson’s aides tried to paint Walpin as a Republican partisan by pointing out his support for GOP presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Ex-Official Wants Job Back as FBI Shuts St. HOPE Probe (by Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee)