Putting the Squeeze On
Democrats widen their probes, and a controversial Bush insider chimes in
In October 2005, the White House asked the inspector general of the Office of Personnel Management to investigate Bloch after a group of anonymous career employees in his office-along with four public interest groups including the Project for Government Oversight, which monitors federal contracts, and the gay and lesbian rights advocacy group Human Rights Campaign-filed an administrative complaint. POGO'S Beth Daley says Bloch's questioning by the inspector general was imminent, making his own sudden investigation of Bush highly suspect. "The White House has been threatening to fire him for months, and he's been whining about it all around town," says Daley. "For him to turn around and say he's going to conduct an impartial investigation of the White House, that's a huge conflict of interest."
But Bloch, describing the complaint filed against him as a bunch of "trumped up charges by outside interest groups" without a "scintilla of evidence," vows to stay the course on the Bush probe. "I can't be deterred from doing my job because outside interests are screaming," says Bloch. "We've had a legal opinion from our legal counsel policy division that there is no conflict of interest, no reason for me to recuse myself whatsoever, and I won't." White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore says Bush officials will "cooperate with the special counsel investigation as appropriate."
They may not have much choice. Bloch is a political appointee, just like the U.S. attorneys whom Bush fired. But unlike those federal prosecutors, Bloch does not serve "at pleasure" but was named to a five-year term. So unless Bloch is found guilty of specific wrongdoing and fired, he could become a veritable thorn in this little thicket of scandals that is turning into a major irritant to the Bush White House.
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