No Prediction on End to Doan Investigation

A spokesman with the Office of Special Counsel, the independent agency investigating General Services Administration chief Lurita Doan for violating a law that limits on-the-job political activity in government offices, says investigators do not know when they will complete the investigation. Some investigations involving alleged Hatch Act violations take a month and others take many months, says an agency spokesman.

For example, OSC announced in February the completion of an investigation involving a 2004 presidential campaign appearance by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s Debus Facility Center in Florida as well as a 2006 awards banquet in Texas involving NASA Administrator Michael Griffin’s alleged endorsement of Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas. The spokesman said that he does not expect the Doan matter to take as long, but he could not be more specific.

Once the investigation is complete, OSC will send the results to President Bush, completing the process. The spokesman said that it would be likely that OSC would make a public statement about the completion of the investigation then.

Agency insiders say that the potential Hatch Act violation is the only allegation against Doan that could result in any serious consequences. Experts say that it's difficult to know now whether Doan violated the law by attending a Jan. 26 meeting at GSA's headquarters, which included a PowerPoint presentation by the leading political strategist at the White House.