The Daily Background

ABC’s Blotter:

Congressman Peter King, R-NY, said DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff knew of Cunningham’s role in recommending the limousine company but never told Congress.

“It’s disgraceful that Secretary Chertoff wouldn’t tell us he knew Cunningham’s role and the owner’s criminal record,” King said at the hearing. “This is one reason Secretary Chertoff and DHS have a disgraceful record,” he said.

DHS officials testified the department, which is responsible for protecting the country from terror attacks, has no way to conduct background checks on companies that bid for contracts.

“Everything at DHS that could go wrong, did go wrong,” King said.

So the United States Department of Homeland Security is incapable of finding out basic information about the companies that it awards contracts to, and gives our money? But further, Secretary Chertoff didn’t cooperate with the investigation, and come share the information he had? Was he covering for the convicted Republican congressman who is now serving hard time?

It also begs the question about how effective a job Chertoff is doing. The Department of Homeland Security was originally created to make governmental agencies (say law enforcement like the FBI, and other agencies) could cooperate closer with other bureaus seamlessly, and so information could be shared and working together would be easier. And now Chertoff won’t cooperate with other agencies when he has relevant information regarding investigations?

Filed under: Hookergate, Z-TDB Blog