Today, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's Chairman, Henry Waxman, has sent out letters requesting additional documents regarding what he has termed "the Politicization of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy". The letters request any and all additional documentation referring to meetings directed by Sara Taylor in November of 2006. From the Oversight and Government Reform website today :
At the request of Sara Taylor, the former White House Director of Political Affairs, John Walters, the nation’s drug czar, and his deputies traveled to 20 events with vulnerable Republican members of Congress in the months prior to the 2006 elections. The trips were paid for by federal taxpayers and several were combined with the announcement of federal grants or actions that benefited the districts of the Republican members.
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The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's website describes Rove's involvement in these meetings, and the travel that took place at Sara Taylor's request:
A November 20, 2006, memo from Ms. Taylor summarizes the travel Director Walters took at her request. An agency e-mail sent the following day describes how Karl Rove commended the historically nonpartisan Office of National Drug Control Policy and three cabinet departments – Commerce, Transportation, and Agriculture – for “going above and beyond the call of duty” in making “surrogate appearances” at locations the e-mail described as “the god awful places we sent them.” Other documents include an e-mail from the Interior Department to Ms. Taylor’s predecessor stating: “these folks need to be reminded who they work for and how their geographical travel can benefit this President.”
Chairman Waxman wrote to Ms. Taylor to request her attendance at a Committee deposition on or before July 24 and her possible appearance at a Committee hearing on July 30. He also wrote to White House Counsel Fred Fielding, the Republican National Committee, Director Walters, and the Secretaries of the Departments of Commerce, Transportation, and Agriculture requesting relevant documents.
In the letters going out today, Waxman is quoting an email the committee obtained written by Douglas Simon, a liaison of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to the White House that describes the political briefing given by Karl Rove after the 2006 election, in the email Simon wrote:
"Karl Rove opened the meeting with a thank you for all of the work that went into the surrogate appearances by cabinet members and for the 72 hour deployment. He specifically thanked, for going above and beyond the call of duty, the Dept. of Commerce, Transportation, Agricuture, AND the WH Drug Policy Office. This recognition is not something we hear everyday and we should feel confident that our hard work is noticed. All of this is due to our efforts in preparing the Directors and Deputies for their trips and events. Director Walters and the Deputies covered thousands of miles to attend numerous official events all accross the country. The Directors and Deputies deserve the most recognition because they actually had to give up time with their families for the god awful places we sent them."
Oversight Documentation (all PDF's):
Letter to Sara Taylor
Memo Suggesting ONDCP Travel
E-mail from Douglas Simon Describing Meeting with Karl Rove
E-mail from James O'Gara Thanking Douglas Simon
USDA Briefing Request
Interior Department Post-Briefing E-mail
Strategic Overview Powerpoint Presentation
Letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding
Letters also went out to Mike Duncan, John Walters, Secretary Peter, Secretary Gutierrezand Secretary Johanns.
As mentioned above, Chairman Waxman requests Ms. Taylor's attendance at a Committee deposition on or before July 24 and her possible appearance at a Committee hearing on July 30.