With her agency embroiled in scandal, Michele Leonhart, the chief of the Drug Enforcement Agency, is expected to step down as soon as today, a US official familiar with the matter tells NPR's Carrie Johnson.
In recent weeks, Leonhart came under fire from lawmakers after an Inspector General report found that some DEA agents had "sex parties" in Colombia with prostitutes paid for by drug cartels.
Earlier this month Republican and Democratic members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a statement saying they had "no confidence" in Leonhart.
"From her testimony, it is clear that she lacks the authority and will to make the tough decisions required to hold those accountable who compromise national security and bring disgrace to their position," the committee wrote.
Carrie reports that Leonhart came up the ranks during the Bush administration. She was appointed to the post in 2007 and Obama kept her in place.
Humans will be humans the number one reason we have to have so much regulation. What percentage of humans beings can be counted on to do the right thing all of the time? Think about that one for a while.
ReplyDeleteI think I do a pretty fair job of self-control... I tend to respect other people’s property and person.. Beyond that the more general laws of assault, murder, fraud and liable hold me pretty well in check as I don’t care to be jailed nor do I want to be sued. Control freaks tend to be rather bias about those people they wish to control though… some want to control people who paint fingernails, others… what people can believe and still others want to control the death of unborn children… while on the other hand, some believe that the established laws will allow a nail painter to function in society just fine, people should be able to express their opinions without fear and if humans need control.. Perhaps it is in how they see life and responsibility in the first place….
DeleteIt is, no doubt due to many years of social conditioning, truly difficult for many to understand these words by Thomas Paine: “A great part of that order which reigns among mankind is not the effect of government. It has its origin in the principles of society and the natural constitution of man. It existed prior to government, and would exist if the formality of government was abolished. “
A Bush appointee wouldn't close her eyes to wrongdoing would she? Of course not!
ReplyDeleteIt is good that a department leader stands up and takes responsibility for the things done in their name... to bad more don't 'do the right thing' and resign or be forced out by the people who hired them as integrity should be vitally important but then again, we see the skewed way in which we view the world when the leader of the country has sex with a woman in the Oval office and is held as a hero and martyr and the dea agents having consensual sex are more the villain... While I don’t condone their actions why should we expect anything less?
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