FederalDaily - May 6, 2005

Defense Analyst Arrested For Sharing Classified Information

A Department of Defense analyst has been arrested by the FBI and charged with disclosing classified information related to potential attacks upon U.S. forces in Iraq to individuals who were not entitled to receive the information, the Department of Justice announced. The charge against Lawrence Franklin, 58, of Kearneysville, West Virginia, carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Franklin worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Iran Desk. He held a top secret security clearance until that clearance was suspended on June 30, 2004. In addition to allegedly sharing the classified information, Franklin had around 80 classified U.S. government documents in his West Virginia home in June 2004.

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USPS Relocation Payments Questioned

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, is calling on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to account for high payments employees received for relocating. Grassley said that during fiscal years 2003 and 2004, USPS made 265 miscellaneous relocation payments of $10,000 each, totaling $2.65 million. Another 10 payments of $25,000 were made during the same time period. This is an allowance employees receive in addition to reimbursable expenses such as the shipping of household goods and expenses related to the sale of a home. “It’s irresponsible for the Postal Service to make these payments without accounting for how the money is spent,” Grassley said. In a letter sent to Postmaster General John E. Potter on May 3, Grassley wrote, “I don’t see how you can justify a 10 percent increase in postage rates at the same time you are making payments of $10,000 or more to USPS executives.” Potter had said the relocation benefits were necessary to induce talented individuals to move to challenging positions in higher cost areas.

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Davis Requests Review of Agencies’ Emergency Plans

House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., on May 4 asked the Government Accountability Office to conduct an assessment of whether major federal agencies are prepared to use alternate facilities to perform their essential functions during emergencies and whether they have adequately considered the use of telework to keep operating under an emergency situation. The Government Reform Committee has held two hearings, most recently on April 28, to examine the federal government’s ability to continue functioning in the event of a natural disaster or other threat to health and safety. In both cases, shortcomings in continuity of operation plans (COOP) were evident, according to Davis.

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Spending on Homeless Veterans Increases

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has estimated that as many as 250,000 veterans may be homeless on any given day. Many other veterans are also considered at risk for homelessness because of poverty, lack of support from family and friends and precarious living conditions. One federal program designed to help these veterans is the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP)—a grant program that provides funding for employment and training services for homeless veterans. The Government Accountability Office reported that expenditures for HVRP grants have increased from $9.5 million in FY 2000 to more than $18 million in FY 2004. For 2005 and 2006, DOL estimates that it will expend over $20 million on HVRP grants each year.

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