Investigation finds no propaganda but questions linger.An investigation of the U.S. Department of Education's public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most contracts found both "covert propaganda" in one contract and "no covert propaganda" in other contracts. An investigation by the Government Accountability Office The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress, and thus an agency in the Legislative Branch of the United States Government. found the Bush administration violated the law by buying favorable fa·vor·a·ble adj. 1. Advantageous; helpful: favorable winds. 2. Encouraging; propitious: a favorable diagnosis. 3. coverage of government education policies via payments to conservative commentator Armstrong Williams Armstrong Williams (born February 5, 1959) is a political commentator who writes a conservative newspaper column, hosts a nationally syndicated TV program called The Right Side and by hiring a company to analyze media perceptions of the Republican Party. While the Williams situation was found to be "covert propaganda," a separate investigation found that there was "no covert propaganda" among other contracts. The "Final Inspection Report" by the Office of Inspector General Noun 1. Office of Inspector General - the investigative arm of the Federal Trade Commission OIG independent agency - an agency of the United States government that is created by an act of Congress and is independent of the executive departments John P. Higgins Jr., released in September, found that millions of dollars were used to promote Bush administration policies in newspapers and brochures, which is standard procedure, but it did not reveal they received taxpayer funds, which is required under law. The two investigations started with Williams' past promotion of No Child Left Behind. Williams' public relations firm, Graham Williams Graham Williams was a British television producer and script editor, whose best known work was on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. After working as script editor for The View From Daniel Pike (1971), Sutherland's Law Group, bought ad space in 2003 on a television show he owns and hosts promoting Bush's education law, and then used his column to support the legislation. Higgins' report found that three previous grants investigated resulted in newspaper op-ed pieces and did not include disclaimer language to reveal that they were paid for with taxpayer money. But, the report states there was no evidence the department awarded these grants with "intent to influence public opinion." But according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Rep. George Miller's office, which requested the probe, the finding of "no covert propaganda" is "ridiculous." When the grant recipients' did not divulge they were using DOE funds to promote Bush's policies, the DOE is either incompetent incompetent adj. 1) referring to a person who is not able to manage his/her affairs due to mental deficiency (lack of I.Q., deterioration, illness or psychosis) or sometimes physical disability. or ignorant, according to Tom Kiley, Miller's spokesman. "It's about incompetence in·com·pe·tence or in·com·pe·ten·cy n. 1. The quality of being incompetent or incapable of performing a function, as the failure of the cardiac valves to close properly. 2. that rises to an unbelievable level because ... they're not assessing where the money is going. Or they are turning a blind eye to this," Kiley says. The U.S. Department of Education declined to comment, saying all information was in the report. Rep. Miller says the issue represents a bigger picture of "a sort of breakdown of accountability and responsibility in the administration," Kiley says. "People should know their taxpayer funds are used wisely. This is not a wise use of their money." www.ed.gov Full Disclosure The Final Inspection Report also found that in 10 of 11 cases examined, the groups that received funds and promoted Bush education policies did not disclose in media--like pamphlets, radio ads, brochures, videos or postcards--that taxpayer funds were used. The contracts totaled $4.7 million. The Office of Inspector General's report recommends administration officials consider asking for some of that money back. |
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