Skip to content

Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.

Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.

Because no one
is above the law!

Donate

Corruption Chronicles

Housing Secretary Under Investigation

A Bush cabinet member recently investigated by the agency he heads for illegally granting contracts based on political affiliation is now under FBI investigation for getting a friend a lucrative no-bid government deal.

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Alphonso Jackson evidently helped a friend get $392,000 over a period of a year and a half as a construction manager in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

The contractor, William Hairston of Hilton Head Island South Carolina, is a longtime friend and golfing buddy of the housing secretary and his company (Hairston Construction) got the sweet government contract without having to bid for it competitively as required by federal law.

Earlier this year HUDâ??s inspector general launched a probe into whether Jackson urged his staff to consider contractorsâ?? political leanings when awarding agency contracts. The housing secretary subsequently gave Congressional testimony denying that he steered deals to friends and administration supporters.

A former president of the Dallas Housing Authority, Jackson also drew attention during a public speech in 2006 for saying he had canceled a federal contract after the companyâ??s president told him he did not like George W. Bush.

HUD has been plagued by scandal before. In 1999 Bill Clintonâ??s housing secretary, Henry Cisneros, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about payments to his former mistress. An influence-peddling scandal under Ronald Reagan led to the conviction of 16 people, including top aides to then HUD Secretary Samuel Pierce.


Related

New Fani Willis Lawsuit

Tipsheets | March 18, 2024
Top Headlines of the Week Press Releases Judicial Watch Sues Fani Willis for Communications with Special Counsel Jack Smith, Pelosi January 6 Committee Judicial Watch announced re...

NEW: Fani Willis Lawsuit!

Records Show CIA Deployed Bomb Techs, Dog Teams to DC on January 6 Judicial Watch Sues Fani Willis for Communications with Jack Smith, Pelosi Committee Judicial Watch Sues for Tran...

Fani Willis Has a New Legal Problem

In The News | March 14, 2024
From Newsweek: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is facing a new lawsuit from conservative activist group Judicial Watch. Judicial Watch sued Willis and Fulton County, Ge...