Sunday, March 30, 2008

BUSH AIDE QUITS OVER MONEY USE

Bush Aide Quits Over Money Use

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 29, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) — An aide to President Bush has resigned because of his alleged misuse of grant money from the United States Agency for International Development when he worked for a Cuban democracy organization.

The aide, Felipe Sixto, was promoted on March 1 as a special assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs. He stepped forward on March 20 to reveal his alleged wrongdoing and to resign, a White House spokesman, Scott Stanzel, said on Friday.

Mr. Stanzel said Mr. Sixto took that step after learning that his former employer, the Center for a Free Cuba, was prepared to initiate legal action against him.

The alleged wrongdoing occurred when Mr. Sixto was chief of staff at the center, where he worked for more than three years before moving to the White House.

The matter has been turned over to the Justice Department for investigation, Mr. Stanzel said.

The Center for a Free Cuba calls itself an independent, nonpartisan institution dedicated to promoting human rights and a transition to democracy and the rule of law in Cuba. Frank Calzon, its executive director, said the group received “a couple million dollars” a year from the development agency.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/29/washington/29aide.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin