Grassley Blocks Holbrooke's Confirmation Over Firing of Whistleblower

Strategic Insights -

Sen. Charles E. Grassley, an Iowa Republican, continues to block the Senate approval of Richard Holbrooke as United Nations ambassador to protect a fired State Department whistleblower, Linda S. Shenwick, who was a $120,000-a-year management and finance analyst at the U.S. mission to the United Nations. Grassley's concerns about job protection for Shenwick "have been met in part," but he will take additional steps to ensure fairness in the process. Recent State Department moves to undercut White House efforts to strike a deal involving Shenwick prompted Senate Republicans to raise the stakes. The conflict between Grassley and the White House deepens as Grassley believes Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright does not want Holbrooke at the U.N., where he could eclipse her as the administration's foreign policy voice.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sen. Charles E. Grassley continues to block Richard Holbrooke's confirmation as United Nations ambassador to protect Linda S. Shenwick, a fired State Department whistleblower.
  • Grassley's concerns about Shenwick's job protection "have been met in part," but he will take additional steps to ensure fairness in the process.
  • Sen. Charles E. Grassley believes Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright does not want Holbrooke at the U.N., where he could eclipse her as the administration's foreign policy voice.
  • Madeleine K. Albright brought a former U.S. ambassador, Herbert D. Gelber, out of retirement to write a negative evaluation of Miss Shenwick that became the basis of efforts to get rid of her.
  • The State Department made a final push to remove Shenwick last spring, but she ultimately rejected a job offer from the Energy Department.
  • State agreed to pay $500,000 a year for a new Senior Executive Service position for Ms. Shenwick at Energy's Environmental Measurements Laboratory in New York.
  • Energy Secretary Bill Richardson was Mrs. Albright's successor as U.N. ambassador and worked with Miss Shenwick until he became energy secretary last year.

Statistics:

  • $120,000: Annual salary of Linda S. Shenwick as management and finance analyst at the U.S. mission to the United Nations.
  • $500,000: Annual salary agreed to by the State Department for Shenwick's position at Energy's Environmental Measurements Laboratory.
  • 22: Number of technical and quality assurance projects Shenwick was assigned at Energy's Environmental Measurements Laboratory.
  • 2 meetings: Between Mitchell D. Erickson, the lab's director, and Miss Shenwick in April to discuss the newly created position.
  • 1 phone call: Made by Energy Department spokesman Stuart Nagurka to confirm the Energy Department's involvement in finding a job for Miss Shenwick.

Sources:

  • The Washington Times
  • Congressional records
  • Federal Office of Special Counsel documents
  • State Department documents
  • Energy Department documents