Stay above reproach.
Assume
-Someone is
always watching even at the local level,
-If you can’t
explain it, don’t do it!
-I always
fly economy on business
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/10/fema-official-arrested-for-fraud-over-hurricane-maria-recovery-effort-in-puerto-rico.html
A former administrator of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency was arrested Tuesday for taking
bribes from the president of a company that landed $1.8 billion in federal
contracts to repair Puerto Rico’s electrical grid after Hurricane Maria
devastated the island in September 2017.
Federal authorities arrested
Ahsha Tribble, FEMA’s former deputy administrator for the region that
includes Puerto Rico. Donald Keith Ellison, the former president of
Cobra Acquisitions was also arrested.
They
were accused of “conspiracy to commit bribery of public officials; acts
affecting a personal financial interest; false statements; disaster fraud;
honest services wire fraud, Travel Act violations, and wire fraud,” according
to a statement from the Department of Justice.
Ms.
Tribble and Mr. Ellison had a “close personal relationship” from October 2017 to April 2019,
and Mr. Ellison gave Ms. Tribble gifts that ranged from personal helicopter
use, hotel accommodations and personal security services, according to the
DOJ statement.
In
exchange, Ms. Tribble performed “official acts” including influencing,
advising, and exerting pressure on Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and
FEMA officials, in order to award restoration work to Cobra and accelerate
payments to the company.
“All
government officials are entrusted with performing their duties honestly and
ethically,” said U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez for the District
of Puerto Rico. “The charged offenses are reprehensible, more so in light of
PREPA’s and Puerto Rico’s fiscal crisis.”
FEMA
said in a statement that the agency takes allegations of employee
misconduct “extremely seriously” and added that they are “fully cooperating
with federal investigators.”
“FEMA’s
mission is to help the American people before, during, and after disasters
and our mission can only be accomplished by maintaining the public trust and
confidence of those we serve. As such, the Agency takes allegations of
employee misconduct extremely seriously and holds all employees to the
highest ethical standards – requiring them to protect government resources
and place public service over private gain in everything they do.”
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