Beware of pizza parties with John Ashcroft!

[babylonsister]

http://blog.citizensforethics.org/node/648

Justice Dept. officials advised to "consider the appearance" of attending lunch with John Ashcroft
Submitted by CREW on 27 February 2007 - 2:02pm.

From TPM Muckraker's Daily Muck, we learn that Justice Department officials have been warned about the propriety of attending a pizza luncheon hosted by their former boss John Ashcroft. The report first appeared in US News and World Report:

A pizza luncheon to be hosted this Wednesday by former Attorney General turned consultant John Ashcroft for some of his old political appointees has raised eyebrows in the Justice Department's ethics office, U.S. News has learned. The ethics office, which provides Justice employees with guidance on a wide range of ethics questions, has not prohibited invitees from attending the lunch.
However, it has "advised invitees to consider the appearance of attending such an event," Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse told U.S. News. But Juleanna Glover Weiss, an adviser and spokesperson for his consulting firm, told U.S. News that "General Ashcroft has abided by the letter and spirit of all post government service ethics restrictions." Wednesday's lunch, Weiss said, "is just a small social gathering."

Executive branch employees must comply with stringent standards of ethical conduct pertaining to accepting gifts or items of monetary value from anyone wanting to do official business with their agency, including their old colleagues and bosses. The ethics office has told political appointees at Justice that if they attend the Ashcroft pizza luncheon, it would "count toward the $20/occasion and $50/year limits."

Executive branch ethics have become a hot issue. US News may think the standards of ethical conduct are already stringent. We're not so sure. Earlier this month, CREW released "Criminals and Scoundrels: The 25 most Corrupt Officials of the Bush Administration." Just last week, Speaker Pelosi called for stricter executive branch ethics. The Ashcroft/pizza lunch might give some added impetus.

[htuttle]

1. "General Ashcroft"???

:eyes:

sigh. I hate having to quote William Safire:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2003/07/20/2003060196

Is it right and proper to call an attorney general "General"?

The answer is no. Any attorney general, national or state, who demands to be called "General" is guilty of nominally impersonating an officer, an offense almost as horrendous as aggravated mopery.

[Vidar]

5. It's from the "Colonel Sanders" school of thought.

[sakabatou]

2. I'll bring my own lunch

[Dr.Phool]

3. Is he serving kool-aid?

[tomreedtoon]

4. You'd have to listen to "Let The Eagle Soar" again!

But because of spending restrictions, Ashcroft would be accompanied by a blind accordianist from the 700 Club and a cub scout on a kazoo.