FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 13, 1999
CONTACT: Dan Rene, 703-847-3088 or drene@nlpc.org
Washington DC - The National Legal and Policy Center today inducted Allen P. Stayman into its Ethics Hall of Shame.
While Director of Insular Affairs at the Interior Department, Stayman was responsible for coordination federal policy in U.S. territories including Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. It appears, however, that Stayman instead coordinated partisan attacks on political foes.
Memos retrieved from the computers in Stayman’s office detail efforts by David North, his public affairs officer, to play a role in the 1998 elections. A memo to the executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) with a blind copy to Stayman requests the names and phone numbers of Democratic challengers to Republican House leaders Dick Armey and Tom DeLay. The memo goes on to cite the "utility" of the help the office can provide to favored candidates.
Stayman recently resigned his Interior Departmant post, but is still holds a government job at the Department of State. North "retired" and no long hold a government job.
NLPC President Peter Flaherty, "I can think of no more worthy inductee to our Hall of Shame. I am relieved that Stayman has left Interior, but I question how he found a new home at the State Department. Is there an effort to protect him by higher ups? I call for his immediate dismissal to end all such appearances."
"This activity was clearly illegal. It cannot be tolerated. According
to the Hatch Act, federal employees cannot use taxpayer dollars for partisan
political activity." continued Flaherty.
NLPC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan watchdog organization dedicated to
promoting ethics in government through distribution of the Code
of Ethics for Government Service. NLPC continues to fight corruption
in government wherever it is found.
Organized Labor Accountability Project