Posted on 02/04/2008 2:50:58 PM PST by 3AngelaD
Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson demanded that the Philadelphia Housing Authority transfer a $2 million public property to a developer at a substantial discount, then retaliated against the housing authority when it refused to do so, a recent court filing alleges. The authority's director, Carl Greene, contends in a court affidavit that Jackson called Philadelphia's mayor in 2006 to demand the transfer to the developer, Kenny Gamble, a former soul-music songwriter who is a business friend of Jackson's...
Greene and his colleagues have alleged in the court filing that Philadelphia is now paying a severe price for disobeying a Bush Cabinet official. The Department of Housing and Urban Development recently vowed to strip the city's housing authority of its ability to spend some federal funds...
The housing authority responded by filing a civil suit in December against HUD and Jackson, in which Greene claimed that the actions by Jackson's department are "retaliatory" and that the Bush administration has exaggerated the troubles it cited as grounds for stripping the funds....
At the heart of the matter is a dispute over the contract performance of Gamble, a local music legend who founded a real estate firm to redevelop the downtrodden city neighborhoods where he spent his youth....he and his company have donated regularly to the state's GOP senator, Arlen Specter...
Jackson, a longtime friend of President Bush, is under investigation by HUD's inspector general and the Justice Department for other alleged acts of favoritism and interference. Jackson's office last week said in a written statement that he could not comment on Greene's allegations because they are a subject of litigation.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1947794/posts
From soul singer to developer...such a normal progression, huh?
I went to law school with Al Jackson. I can’t believe he has stayed out of trouble this long.
Hopefully Jackson will be brought to justice and serve time. He made a mess of the Section 8 program and returned to building housing projects instead of issuing more Section 8 vouchers.
Plus he openly bragged about rewarding political cronies. The man should be in jail.
That isn’t the half of it. Did you read the article at the link?
Yeah, he belongs in jail.
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