Armstrong Williams to pay $34k in settlement (deal: admits no wrongdoing)

[truthpusher]

http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=5572869&nav=5kZQ

Armstrong Williams to pay $34,000 in settlement

WASHINGTON A columnist who was paid to promote President Bush's agenda is going to have to pay-back 34-thousand dollars.

It's part of a settlement Armstrong Williams has reached with prosecutors concerning the payments he received from the Education Department.

Under the settlement, which includes the Education Department and its subcontractor, Williams admits no wrongdoing.

The investigation began amid reports that the department had contracted with several radio, T-V and print commentators to promote the No Child Left Behind Act.

The Justice Department looked into whether Williams actually performed the work that was promised. Ultimately, prosecutors found he was overpaid by 34-thousand dollars.

The review didn't look at whether he improperly promoted the Bush administration's agenda.

link: http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=5572869&nav=5kZQ

[Maraya1969]

1. And Bush gets no punishment?

That is the essence of the problems of our country in an eggshell.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Does this mean I can get some money to buy pencils for my students?

[billyoc]

5. As soon as Neil Bush gets your purchase order. n/t

[crikkett]

3. Holy cow I was just looking this up

I wanted to know a timeline of when NCLB was introduced vs. when George Sr. and Barbara invested in Neil's company Ignite.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. NCLB passed in 2001

I don't know when Babs and Senior invested.

[crikkett]

11. they invested in 1999.

I did some homework last night:

A brief timeline:

* 1999: Neil Bush co-founded Ignite! Learning.
* 2000: George Bush launched his "No Child Left Behind" campaign. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-CT) sponsored the bill along with other lawmakers.
* 2002: George Bush signed the NCLB Act in January 2002.
* 2003: Neil Bush raised $23M for Ignite from more than a dozen outside investors by 2003.
* 2003: The Dept. Education used taxpayer money to hire Conservative Pundit Armstrong Williams to make radio and tv commercials touting NCLB, and furthermore to regularly comment on the program in his syndicated columns.
* 2005: the GAO determined the practice to be covert propaganda.
* 2006: Ignite announced that investor Barbara Bush's donation to the Bush-Clinton Katrina fund was earmarked for the purchase of COWs in TX schools.
* 2007: Congress will decide whether to reactivate the NCLB.

[marmar]

4. A Repug admitting "no wrongdoing?"

Now there's something we haven't heard before. :sarcasm:

[skiddlybop]

7. He admits no wrongdoing but refunds all that money?

Obviously, he was paid for a NO-SHOW job and this is a face-saver for BOTH of them.

There is no issue about whether he was paid to pass out government propaganda. That was the job. That's not in dispute. He's not to be trusted in anything he says because of that.

The government wanted to save face by retrieving some of the under-the-table money, that's all.

[Jersey Ginny]

8. Part of the deal should have been to get him off AAR

The morning show just stinks. This jerk and then a guy, the dem, who sounds like he's been neutered with his high pitch voice. It is just terrible.

[gratuitous]

9. He didn't play for the pay

Check this story closely; it stands to reason that Mr. Williams is being fined in some fashion or another for being a lying weasel scumbag. Instead, he just has to pay back some of the taxpayer money he was paid ahead when he could no longer act as a secretly-paid mouthpiece for the administration. He gets to keep the rest of the payola he "earned."

[Erika]

10. The right wing media has lost all credibility

Especially the bushbot blacks who were paid by taxpayer monies.

[SoCalDem]

12. He's only having to give back the propaganda he failed to deliver

:puke: