Beset by charges of cronyism and favoritism, America's Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, is expected to announce his resignation Monday, sources close to the matter told the Wall Street Journal.
Jackson was to appear at a press conference Monday morning, according to the Journal. Asked if Jackson was planning to resign, HUD spokeswoman D.J. Nordquist told the paper in an e-mailed statement that she was "not at liberty to say what the announcement is."
Several congressional lawmakers have called for Jackson to step down because of his refusal to answer questions about his role in a Philadelphia redevelopment deal. The city's housing authority has filed a lawsuit charging that Jackson tried to punish the agency for nixing a deal involving music-producer-turned-developer Kenny Gamble, a friend of Jackson.
Earlier this month, Sens. Patty Murray of Washington state and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut said that Jackson's problems represented a "worsening distraction" at HUD at a time when the nation needs a credible housing secretary who is beyond suspicion.
At a March 13 subcommittee hearing, Murray repeatedly asked Jackson about the Philadelphia deal and other allegations of wrongdoing, including an investigation by HUD's inspector general that was triggered by Jackson's boast that he once revoked a contract because an applicant said he did not like Bush.
The inspector general, after a four-month inquiry, turned up no evidence of a canceled contract. But the report found what it called "some problematic instances" involving HUD contracts and grants, including Jackson's opposition to money for a contractor whose executives donated exclusively to Democratic candidates.
Murray said she offered Jackson a chance to "debunk any misunderstandings and clear his name." Instead, "Jackson stubbornly refused to provide the answers the American public deserves," she said.
Dodd said that Jackson had repeatedly demonstrated he is unable to provide needed leadership for HUD at a time when the nation's housing markets are in crisis. He cited reports by HUD's inspector general that Jackson advised his senior staff to take political affiliation into account in awarding contracts, as well as three separate allegations of impropriety and Jackson's "repeated failure" to answer questions by members of Congress.
Source:Xinhua
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