Reno Pressuring for Contract Raises Eyebrows

0 Comments | Insight on the News, Jan 10, 2000 | by Jamie Dettmer

Last week news alert! reported that the Justice Department is bracing for file release early this year of the results of a two-year probe by Inspector General, or IG, Michael Bromwich into Justice programs tasked with training foreign police and prosecutors. The inquiry bas turned up substantial evidence of serious security breaches, sexual favoritism in hiring practices, ethical lapses in the awarding of contracts and even possible visa fraud by top officials.

Justice insiders say the report now may prove even more embarrassing than first believed for Attorney General Janet Reno. Some witnesses have told the IG that Reno herself pushed bard for one of the contracts' that have drawn the attention of investigators. The contract in question was given to former assistant attorney general JoAnn Harris shortly after she left the Justice Department. The contract may have breached ethics guidelines because it wasn't put out for competitive tender.

According to two witnesses who spoke to IG investigators, Robert Bratt, then executive officer of the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program, or ICITAP, came under pressure from Reno to award Harris the contract. At a meeting of his senior staff, Bratt made clear that the attorney general herself was keen for Harris to get the work. Harris also apparently used Justice employees to help her work on her contract proposal -- yet another ethics breach.