back to article Obama CIO on leave after cuffing of former employee

America's first federal chief information officer has been placed on leave after one of his former employees was arrested for alleged IT bribery. The White House tells The Washington Post that federal CIO Vivek Kundra is currently on leave due to "an abundance of caution." President Obama tapped Kundra for the brand new post …

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  1. Walter Brown
    Black Helicopters

    WOW 8 Days...

    That's impressive, the guy has his job 8 days and gets suspended, on friday the 13th none the less.

    the story says he's not being investigated... my ass! they wouldnt have suspended him if they didnt suspect him of anything...

  2. Michael Habel
    Thumb Down

    Say what you like about Bush, but at least he wasn't surrounded by Criminals,

    Didn't they try to impeach Nixon for this stuff??

    Crist This Dorks administration is just chuck full of bottom feeding criminal scum-sucking tax-cheaters, ("Oh it was just an innocent mistake!") Ex-Governors selling vacant Senate Seats, and that was just the past what has it been now Fifty some-odd Days now??

    The sad thing is I fully expect this Arsehat to win the next Election, the stupidity of the American People make me sad... :(

    I just hope these Obama Fanbois stay home during the Mid-Term Elections come 2010.

    Hopefully a Republican Congress can help keep this Jerk in check!!

  3. Jemma

    *sigh*

    To quote the great cicero -

    "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss...."

    I had great hopes for Mr Obama - but I am beginning to wonder if this is another NuLabour False-Dawn(TM). Although there is one bright spark in all the lucas electrics ... there cant be two wacki Jackies...

  4. cirby

    Something in the stories

    I keep seeing "Federal officials say he wasn't being investigated."

    Except that none of the named ones are from the FBI, and the ones they do name aren't connected to the case. Basically, the folks who have been saying he's not connected are Democrats who really want this to go away.

    The other part of this that's being glossed over in most stories is that he was the direct supervisor of the two guys who were arrested. So he was either connected (most likely) or insanely careless and naive - and not someone you want supervising the White House's computer security.

  5. CTG
    Flame

    @Michael Habel

    Thanks, that was the best laugh I've had all week.

    Presumably you are referring to the fact that the Bush administration only ever broke *international* laws, which can of course just be ignored by the US if they feel like it. Cheney, a criminal? Never. Rove, a criminal? Never. Dubya, a criminal? No way.

    Keep taking the pills, Michael, keep sipping that Republican Kool-Aid. Heaven forbid you should actually wake up and see the reality around you. Fuckwit.

  6. Vladimir
    Jobs Horns

    Maybe investigate MicroSoft too...finally?

    I think this SHOULD be prosecuted, but it happens so often in IT (and government) that I wouldn't bet large on the outcome.

    The "non-profit" (yeah right) hospital that employes my wife (here in the states) used to have a very robust Novel network environment. Until they switched it all over to MS Exchange and whatever the latest name incarnation of NT.

    Now, even 5 years after the switch, spam is pervasive and unfiltered, outages are more common and catastrofic.

    I suspect that the CTO, CIO and the IT staff didn't get much voice. When the MS marketing team pays for the CEO and all the presidents of the company to party in Palm Springs, Vegas, or Monocco...how much will IT's vote count?

    If not for outright bribery, I don't see how intelligent IT could choose inferior office suites, networking and mail server.

    Again, I hope they bust him and go on to bust every bribed executive at EVERY company and government agency.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Maybe they are just not sweeping stuff under the rug?

    It could be that in past administrations ... the first questions was can we bury this as long as possible and issue a pardon later if necessary.

    Maybe this administration is just digging deeper into the background of its staff and taking action at the first hint of impropriety?

    The problem with being open and honest is more mistakes get brought to light.

    Either that or Obama is just a really bad judge of character :(

    I am hoping its the former.

  8. Keith T
    Unhappy

    Mountain out of a mole hill?

    Are cabinet members going to be suspended every time a staff member is arrested?

    With hundreds of thousands of people working in some departments, arrests are a daily occurrence.

    Unless there is more to this than they are letting on, the Obama administration is making a mountain out of a mole hill.

  9. Keith T
    Alert

    How much more different can the new boss be from the old boss?

    @Michael Habel -- no this is not why they tried to impeach Nixon

    The Watergate Committee sent the act of impeachment for Nixon to the US Congress with a recommendation for approval because of acts Nixon himself committed, including his commission of the crime of obstruction of justice which was recorded on White House audio tapes. Even Paris knows that.

    US Presidents have never been held to account for unauthorized crimes committed by government workers before they were hired, especially not when the government workers are a few levels below them in the hierarchy.

    Whereas many Republican presidents would order the commission of acts generally considered to break US and/or international law, and then generally shelter their staffs from investigation prosecution, Obama is holding his staff to account for crimes, at least in this incidence.

    How much more different can the new boss be from the old boss?

    Restoring national honor can't be done by simply ceasing in the commission of further rogue state acts. Past acts must be atoned for.

    Obama could start by restoring the US as a signatory to the Geneva Conventions after GW Bush abrogated US signatures on those conventions, and removed US troops from the protection of those conventions (as many US generals warned would happen).

    Restoring the US as a signatory would require the US to apply those Geneva Conventions which it has signed, to its own citizens and soldiers as is required of all signatories to the Geneva Conventions. That means either bringing alleged major US war criminals (Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, etc.) to a fair trial, or sending them to another country or the ICC, for trial.

    Obama might be a great leader, but I don't think even he is so great as to be able to lead the people of the USA to truly make the actual effort required to restore their nation's honor. Instead we'll get words. (Which is a shame for those many Americans who are personally honorable.)

  10. Frank

    @ Jemma re. *sigh*

    "...there cant be two wacki Jackies..."

    You said it; so now it will happen......sigh.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    He's right

    He is right to demand the highest of standards in his Administration. Since he has so much difficulty in getting people it just plainly goes to show how widespread dishonesty and white collar crime in the US! We always suspected it, even saw it by the actions of the last Administration.

  12. amanfromMars Silver badge
    Black Helicopters

    Land of the Free? Hmmm .... We shall very soon See about that .

    "The Cloud computing Model allows you to provide service rather than Technology, IT allows us to Create a Government which is more Transparent so that Government is not Practised behind Closed Doors [and Shuttered Windows] but is Practised in the Public Square" .... 4:14/4:35 ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JZus5bvC3M

    Two points of Worthy note, there, for they are Ultimate Expressions to Guard against and Dismiss as Dangerous and Unwanted ....1) Government is always just some Fanatics Practising Control and Power with and for Resources, whether Animal, Vegetable or Mineral and Mechanical and Artificial ie Created by Human Intelligent Design, and 2) Secrecy is Anathema to Good Governance and will always Lead with a Destructive Program to Obscure Transparency of Real Stupid Deeds which Guarantee Self Destruction.

    And amfM HyperRadioProActivity would wholeheartedly endorse the Kundra Sentiment, as shared above, for Transparency is the Perfect Disinfectant to Kill Off all of those nasty Parasitic Bugs and Trojans/Worms and Moles, through the Open Continuous Embrace of the Shameless Display of Critical and Creative Peer Review, Source Models, but which may or may not be Practised by Google, who may have been Nobbled by Behind the Curve and New Ball Game, Closed Doors and Shuttered Windows Shadow Governments and/or Phoney Intelligence Agencies Practising Dumb Levers of Self Destructive Power Control ...... for their own Private Practice Ends .... just like Dodgy Bush Meat, long Past its Sell-by Date, and Rancid and Poisonous to Eat even when prepared for the table with all manner of Spices and Sugar, trying to hide and disguise the Toxic Waste and Smell of Rotten Carrion.

    "Maybe this administration is just digging deeper into the background of its staff and taking action at the first hint of impropriety?

    The problem with being open and honest is more mistakes get brought to light.

    Either that or Obama is just a really bad judge of character :(

    I am hoping its the former."..... By Anonymous Coward Posted Saturday 14th March 2009 04:07 GMT

    AC,

    Being Open and Honest PREVENTS and PROTECTS you from ALL Problems and to hide any Problems that will undoubtedly be discovered, will leave YOU with them, to Contend with and Continue, rather than you Pursuing your Own Course and Agenda, and only an Idiot would want that Inheritance, whenever a Simple Free Choice Decision to Decline will always let Others and Natural Justice and the Light of Day take its Own Public Course and Test its Fitness for Future Purpose too, and in Rock Solid Support of an Open and Honest Agenda, too.

    That is Win Win if you Care 42 Dare and Guaranteed Lose if you Don't.

    "Mountain out of a mole hill? .... Unless there is more to this than they are letting on,.." .... By Keith T Posted Saturday 14th March 2009 04:11 GMT

    Keith T, I think you can be assured that there is no doubt of that.:-)

    The Pork Barrel is full of Rotten Eggs and Apples and it is just a Simple Matter of throwing them out onto the Scrap Heap/into the Trash/to the Wolves and Pigs, for they are of No Constructive Value and deliver nothing but Negative Worth ie an Unacceptable Risk and Public Liability

    "Obama might be a great leader, but I don't think even he is so great as to be able to lead the people of the USA to truly make the actual effort required to restore their nation's honor." .... I would choose to disagree and suggest that he can be the greatest leader of the people of the USA that anyone has ever seen, known or even known of, since before even Time began ..... for he has the World on his Side and IT Boffins too .... and they can Work Digital Binary Miracles which will Absolutely Astound Y'All. And it is his Simple Choice to make and Time will tell its Tale. Crikey/FFS, Keith T, he hasn't had time to even unpack his bedroom slippers yet, in the White House, ..... Give him time to find all the Tasty Knick Knacks and Control Levers, at his Beck and Call, although you can be sure that there will be some Bozos Advising his Admin. and Thinking to do his Thinking for him, and Presenting him with their Wishes for Secret Reward.

    It's a Nasty Habit all the Old Codgers have/had whenever they can't/couldn't cut the Mustard themselves, and Rule Honestly and Openly because of their Incompetence and Compromising Positions/Proxy Hidden Third Party Leads.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    IT Angle

    Re: He's right

    Alternatively it shows what a bad judge of character he Obama is...

    The only difference between the US and the UK is that nobody gets charged with this in the UK.

    You should never vote for anyone that puts themselves up for office voluntarily.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    You confused me...

    When I saw the title "Obama CIO on leave after cuffing of former employee" I thought it was serious and something to do with a "clip to the ear" based assault. If it is only to do with your common or garden corruption while (only just before) in office then the investigations are starting early - and no bad thing if it sets a marker for others to keep themselves clean...

  15. Damn Yank
    Flame

    Move the US Capital to Illinois

    We'll teach the world a thing or 3 about graft, corruption, bribery, extortion...

  16. Bruce Ordway

    the stupidity of the American People make me sad... :(

    It makes me sad that there is so much greed and corruption in high places.

    What does this have to do with people being stupid?

    I know a lot of smart americans who are working 60 hours a weeks just to make ends meet.

    What can an ordinary citizen do? (stupid or smart)

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    Re: Michael Habel

    The problem is that over the last couple decades, corruption has been rewarded. You can't pick any leaders from successful companies without getting thieves. That is how they became successful. With a lack of regulation thieves prosper and so the prosperous are now by and large thieves.

    Time to clear the old growth so that start-up out there with the technology that solves the energy crises can succeed.

  18. Mark Spooner
    Stop

    CIO

    Why do we need one again? Seriously, if it is going to be this much trouble I would rather just do without.

  19. Charles Manning

    @Brent Gardner

    While it would be satisfying to label you as ignorant flamebait, you have unfortunately hit the nail on the head.

    Perhaps due to every second Hollywood movie being about corrupt police/politicians etc, or perhaps because everyone is just watching reality TV, nobody really seems to care any more.

    If you look at the stink about Watergate, which was pretty paltry compared to some recent happenings, it is hard to believe that attitudes have changed that much in so few years. Woodward and Bernstein would not even bother to add Watergate to their blog if it happened now.

    You've got to love the line about American innovation though: Just like the greatest American Innovator, Edison, said: innovation is 1% inspiration and 99% good PR.

  20. Walking Turtle
    Boffin

    Criminals Indeed and Not Light, it was.

    @ Michael Habel Posted Friday 13th March 2009 23:35 GMT

    > Say what you like about Bush, but at least he wasn't surrounded by Criminals,

    Um, 'scuse me, but are you sure you wouldn't like a wee little double demitasse o' nice hot black-as-coal Espresso Latino so's to help overcome the evident lingering effects of all that corporate-interest-trumpeting "Red Corporate State Media-Driven Faux Noise Kool-Aid® that looks to be echoin' all around in that hollowed-out ol' bully-bashed noggin o' your'n? Here. Careful; it's fresh and hot.

    OK, well, so here's the cream. Sugar maybe next cup, later. After the noggin clears, y'know. Don't want to overamp and blow out what genuine mind might be left underlying all the corpy scheiss-a-ganda, y'know.

    Lemme' know straight-up when the echo-chamber effect dies down so we can talk intelligent and non-faulty, OK? If ever so, then GOOD!

    amfM, I'm 100% with YOU on THIS one.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Scumbama is likely to be impeached

    With all the criminals Scumbama has appointed to his cabinet, he's likely to get impeached. Hell his close friends are convicted domestic terrorist Ayres and impeached governor Blago. How dumb can voters be?

  22. Frank

    @Charles Manning re. @Brent Gardner

    "....Edison, said: innovation is 1% inspiration and 99% good PR."

    According to what I read/heard many years ago, Edison said "Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration." I believe this may be field observation of a meme in the process of evolving to adapt to it's surroundings and the society/minds in which it is hosted (as proposed by Dawkins)

    Should I write to 'Nature' or should I just add a Reference note to the Wikipedia entry?

  23. Tom

    Republicans

    are just better at covering things up, and if that fails they just retroactively change the law. If they get in trouble it's for being caught.

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Cuffing = Hand-cuffing not hitting

    Change the title, I spent the whole article looking for the point he hit his employees....

  25. Britt Johnston
    Unhappy

    @ how many wacky Jaquies does corruption need?

    The German minister of the interior, Wolfgang Schaeuble, has a pretty similar agenda on privacy and state-run databases. His style and substance could be considered better. This is one main reason why I suspect the civil services are really pushing these issues. Their arguments would be

    - because we can

    - it's needed to beat terrorism

    - it brings money our way

    These reasons are bedfellows of corruption. New Technology means funding before proof of usefulness. anti-terrorism means funding for irrational security concepts, and throw money at everything and hope something sticks, 2009 style, is an invitation to sticky pockets.

  26. Peyton
    Happy

    @Cuffing = Hand-cuffing not hitting

    "spent the whole article looking for the point he hit his employees...."

    omg... that would be the greatest administration ever! I think I would actually pay to watch that!

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    err

    Anyone blaming Obama or Kundra needs to explain how you can take part in Illinois politics or work for the District of Columbia government, and not know somebody who is headed for trouble. A bunch of people just were convicted in a tax office scandal in DC.

    Kundra did not hire Acar. One might question whether he should have caught the guy, but was not an inspector general, and was not hired to be one. And were it possible to eliminate all corruption in the DC IT world, that would be far from fixing all its problems.

  28. Inachu
    Flame

    not good to work in IT in DC

    When you work there people twist your words and upper IT management work by using canned responses and never truly under any situation and love to be bent by offferings and such.

    Blackmail is the way to go in IT in DC.

    I have 2 pages of names of those who I would love to have fired in DC to make IT a better place.

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