Fedline » Office of Special Counsel

One year later, no special counsel

Gregg Carlstrom — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:27:28 +0000

Something I’ve been wondering lately, both because Barack Obama the presidential candidate said a lot of good things about whistleblowers, and because I spent a not-inconsequential part of 2008 reporting on Scott Bloch: Why hasn’t the White House appointed a new special counsel?

I know President Barack Obama still has hundreds of positions to fill. But the top job at the Office of Special Counsel would seem to be an important one. The agency hasn’t had political leadership since October 2008, when the Bush administration forced Bloch to resign.

OSC employees I’ve talked to generally say the agency needs some reorganization, but William Reukauf, the acting special counsel, told me last year that he planned to act as a caretaker. Reorganization, in other words, would have to wait for political leadership. He told Government Executive in May that the agency is “looking forward anxiously” for a new political leader.

Your donations, Bloch's defense

Gregg Carlstrom — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:50:34 +0000

Can’t find a worthy charity in the Combined Federal Campaign?

Send a check to the Scott Bloch Legal Defense Trust! (Donations are not tax-deductible, sorry.)

The recently-retired special counsel is looking for help to defray his mounting legal costs. Bloch was forced out of office last week, an event that capped years of controversy surrounding his tenure, but still faces an ongoing grand jury investigation.

The Web site includes praise for Bloch from a number of conservative luminaries, including Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes, Heritage Foundation co-founder Paul Weyrich, and Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.)

Noticeably absent is any praise from current or former employees of the Office of Special Counsel.

Not waiting until Jan. 5, after all

Gregg Carlstrom — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:10:20 +0000

On Monday, Scott Bloch announced he planned to resign on Jan. 5, the scheduled end of his term.

Today, apparently, the White House decided that wasn’t soon enough.

Bloch was called to 1600 Pennsylvania for a meeting this morning and was dismissed from the agency, according to sources. OSC is holding an all-hands meeting right now so Bloch can break the news.

More details as they come…

Update: Sources say the Federal Protective Service prevented Bloch from re-entering the agency’s M Street offices after his meeting at the White House.

Update II: Background on the strange case of Scott Bloch.

Update III: According to OSC spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, William Reukauf, the senior associate special counsel, will take over Bloch’s post on an acting basis.

Update IV: According to the White House, Bloch will be placed on administrative leave for the duration of his term.

Scott Bloch's resignation letter

Gregg Carlstrom — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:12:53 +0000

As we’re reporting on the Federal Times Web site, Special Counsel Scott Bloch announced his resignation â€” he’s leaving office on Jan. 5, the scheduled end of his five-year term. He made the announcement in a letter to the president (pdf) earlier today.

Bloch had the option to stay for one more year (or until the Senate confirms the next special counsel, whichever comes first), but he declined to stick around.

Bloch’s announcement is true to his word from an interview two months ago, when I asked Bloch about the increasingly vocal calls for his resignation:

But when asked about the criticism, Bloch rejected the idea that his office has a morale problem; he said he has every intention of finishing his five-year term, which ends in January.

“Iâ€™ve had those calls since I came in,” Bloch said. “But Iâ€™ve done my job. Iâ€™ve almost filled out my term, and Iâ€™ll go when I want to go.”

A spokesman for Bloch’s office said there was no particular reason why he was leaving on Jan. 5. “It’s pretty self-explanatory,” he said.