FederalDaily - August 23, 2006

Lawmaker Urges Bush To Review Border Patrol Case

Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., has asked President Bush to initiate a review regarding a 2005 shooting on the Mexican border that resulted in the conviction of two former Border Patrol agents on a range of criminal charges. On Aug. 21, Jones expressed deep concern over what he called the Justice Department’s “unacceptable prosecution of two Border Patrol agents for simply doing their jobs to protect our homeland.” Instead of being convicted, Jones said, the agents—Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean—should have been commended for their actions. Jones said such prosecutions “tie the hands of our Border Patrol and prevent them from securing America’s borders against a flood of illegal immigrants, drugs, counterfeit goods and quite possibly, terrorists.” To see more, go to: http://jones.house.gov/html/release.cfm?id=437

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Wiretap Judge May Have Had Conflict of Interest

U.S. District Court Judge Anna Diggs Taylor, who last week ruled the government’s warrantless wiretapping program unconstitutional, may have had a conflict of interest in the case, said Judicial Watch, a conservative public interest group. Taylor serves as a secretary and trustee for a foundation that donated funds to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan, a plaintiff in the case (ACLU et. al v. National Security Agency), the group said on Aug. 21.  Judicial Watch said it discovered the potential conflict of interest after reviewing Taylor’s financial disclosure statements. According to her 2003 and 2004 statements, the group said, Taylor served as secretary and trustee for the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan (CFSEM). The group said Taylor was reelected to the position in June 2005. The CFSEM Web site states the foundation made a grant of $45,000 over two years to the ACLU of Michigan. To read Taylor’s financial disclosure statements, go to: www.judicialwatch.org/judges/4343.shtml

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GSA to Reduce Majority of Leasing Fees

The General Services Administration (GSA) says it will reduce the leasing fees it charges to federal customer agencies housed in GSA-managed leased facilities—facilities owned by private sector concerns but managed by the agency. Starting in FY 2008, GSA will reduce its fee from 8 percent to 7 percent of the rental cost for the majority of leased space in which agencies are housed. The fee for unique space will be reduced from 6 percent to 5 percent, GSA said on Aug. 21. GSA said it has been working over the past few years to restructure and introduce new efficiencies to its leasing program—including heightened use of an agency-wide lease process management program, eLease. GSA leases more than 166 million square feet of space in 7,300 buildings in 2,100 communities. For more information on GSA’s leasing program, visit www.gsa.gov/leasing.

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