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PAID COLUMNIST-INVESTIGATION: GAO to Investigate Bush Administration Payments to Columnist
The Associated Press
Published: Mar 28, 2005
Complete article
WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressional investigators will probe whether the Bush administration violated any laws when it paid syndicated columnist Maggie Gallagher to help promote a marriage initiative, Democratic Sens. Edward Kennedy and Frank Lautenberg said.
The Government Accountability Office informed the senators of the probe in a letter sent March 24.
The GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, is already looking into the Education Department's relationship with several public relations firms, including the agency's $240,000 contract with syndicated columnist and TV personality Armstrong Williams. The Education Department had hired Williams to promote the No Child Left Behind law.
The two senators had asked the GAO to expand its investigation to include Gallagher.
Gallagher apologized in January to readers for not disclosing a $21,500 contract with the Health and Human Services Department to help create materials promoting the agency's $300 million initiative to encourage marriage. Gallagher said she was not paid to promote marriage but to write articles and brochures.
....
The GAO said its investigation of Gallagher will focus on whether her contract with HHS violated federal law banning the use of public money for publicity or propaganda.
The Associated Press
Published: Mar 28, 2005
Complete article
WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressional investigators will probe whether the Bush administration violated any laws when it paid syndicated columnist Maggie Gallagher to help promote a marriage initiative, Democratic Sens. Edward Kennedy and Frank Lautenberg said.
The Government Accountability Office informed the senators of the probe in a letter sent March 24.
The GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, is already looking into the Education Department's relationship with several public relations firms, including the agency's $240,000 contract with syndicated columnist and TV personality Armstrong Williams. The Education Department had hired Williams to promote the No Child Left Behind law.
The two senators had asked the GAO to expand its investigation to include Gallagher.
Gallagher apologized in January to readers for not disclosing a $21,500 contract with the Health and Human Services Department to help create materials promoting the agency's $300 million initiative to encourage marriage. Gallagher said she was not paid to promote marriage but to write articles and brochures.
....
The GAO said its investigation of Gallagher will focus on whether her contract with HHS violated federal law banning the use of public money for publicity or propaganda.
