Easy Greg
For Immediate
Release
Friday, March 7,
2008
Contact: Marc SiegelÂ
Easy Greg
Weeks into the NRCC accounting
scandal, U.S. Congressman and 2010 gubernatorial candidate Greg Walden lashes
out at critics rather than take responsibility or explain his inaction. Greg Walden's
successor unraveled an accounting scheme in his first year that Walden could
not recognize nor solve during his 2003-2006 tenure as accounting panel chair.
Portland
- What does Greg Walden do when people point out his mistakes?
He doesn't take responsibility or answer the tough
questions. He just blames others.
Today's report in The Bulletin points out that during U.S. Congressman Greg
Walden's (R-OR) 2003-2006 tenure as chair of the auditing committee for the
National Republican Congressional Committee, he could not unravel a fraudulent
accounting scheme that took his successor only one year to solve.
But, when queried about his lack of oversight, lack of action and lack of
leadership, Walden did not accept responsibility nor explain what happened. He
lashed out.
"Walden, who represents Central, Eastern and much of Southern Oregon, declined to respond to the substance of
the Democratic criticism.
‘It's typical coming out of their shop,' Walden said. ‘They
know nothing about what happened at the committee, but it doesn't stop them
from taking cheap shots.'"
(The Bulletin, 3-7-08)
"If Greg Walden had responded as quickly to the fraudulent
audits as he did to his critics, he wouldn't be in this mess," DPO Executive
Director Trent Lutz said. "It took Walden's successor only one year to solve a
problem Walden couldn't figure out in three. How can Oregonians trust Greg
Walden to stand up for them when he can't even stand up to his own accountant?"
Walden may not want to respond to questions about his role
in this brewing scandal, but that doesn't minimize the importance of his
answers. Here are the questions the DPO posed to Walden - who is running for
Governor in 2010 - earlier this week. The full press release can be found here.
1. How could it take the chair of the auditing panel two
years to notice criminal audit fraud? Is your gubernatorial campaign platform
going to be "I'll worry about Oregon's
problems halfway through my first term?"
"But two years into his tenure as chairman of the audit
committee, Walden said he began to have doubts about the audits he received."
(The Bulletin, 2-26-08)
2. Do you regret shirking your responsibilities and leaving
the problem up to your successor to handle? Why was your successor up to the
challenge of taking action and you were not?
"The National Republican Congressional Committee didn't take
action until more than a year into the tenure of Walden's successor, Rep.
Michael Conaway, R-Texas. Conaway, who is a certified public accountant,
pressed Cole to take action after reviewing the committee's finances, said
Conaway spokeswoman Anna Koch."
(The Bulletin, 2-26-08)
3. How could a sitting congressman and chair of an auditing panel
be unable to meet the auditors he is responsible for overseeing? These people
worked for you for years, yet you could not set up a meeting? And how could
that kind of bizarre behavior not force you to take clear, decisive action such
as firing the accounting firm or ordering an investigation, rather than leaving
it for your successor to clean up?
"On Monday, Walden said he tried several times to meet with
the outside auditors and was stiff-armed by committee staff. ‘We just got spun,
frankly,' he said."
(Steve Duin Column, The Oregonian, 3-4-08)
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