Walker Resigns from GAO

Posted by D. Cupples  (photo from GAO) |  Yesterday, U.S. Comptroller General David Walker resigned from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), effective March 12.  He's not even in trouble -- unlike that stream of officials who resigned from the Justice and State Departments last year. 

Walker has been asked to lead a new think tank, the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.  The GAO is staffed with brilliant people.  Couldn't one of them have hatched a plan to keep Walker around for the final five years of his term?  Ransoming his favorite house pet might have worked.

Walker has headed the GAO for nearly 10 years. (Bio)  GAO Chief Operating Officer Gene Dodaro will serve as acting Comptroller General until Walker's replacement is appointed.

In a press release, Walker commented:

"As Comptroller General of the United States and head of the GAO, there are real
limitations on what I can do and say in connection with key public policy issues,
especially issues that directly relate to GAO's client -- the Congress....

“My new position will provide me with the ability and resources to more aggressively address a range of current and emerging challenges facing our country, including advocating specific policy solutions and courses of action. This move will enable me to sharpen my messages and bring focus and attention to the fiscal and other key sustainability challenges that I and others have
been discussing during the past several years.

"Importantly, I will remain involved in The Fiscal Wake-up Tour and will work through the Peterson Foundation and with others to expand related public education and outreach efforts, including through expanded use of technology and new media. I will also honor my commitment to serve on the Independent Audit Advisory Committee of the United Nations."

Anyone who's read GAO reports likely agrees that they are very carefully written, so as to avoid even the mere appearance of partisanship -- which makes some of the paragraphs less concise and harder to follow than they could be.  That's my only complaint about the GAO.

Still, the GAO is a great resource for wonks, academics, journalists and bloggers -- largely because Mr. Walker made it that way.

Frankly, however, I can't wait to hear what Mr. Walker will say when he's unfettered.  See Memeorandum for other bloggers' reactions.

Other BN-Politics' Posts:

* CBS Postpones Siegelman Story Due to White House Pressure?

* House Passes Contempt Resolution re: Bush Staffers

* Bush Let FISA Expire to Protect Telecoms

* Satirist Jon Swift on the Candidates

Comments

[Anonymous to Avoid GAO management retaliation]

Hello: This comment on GAO CG Walker's resigantion is one of the most un-informed pieces of rubbish I have ever read. Dave Walker is NOT responsbile for the quality or objectivity of GAO reports; this existed long before Dave Walker and continued despite his reign as an ignorant, abusive, manager. Dave Walker treated GAO staff like dirt, and then illegally demoted 2/3 of the senior analysts 2 years ago. This action led to the first successful union created in GAO's history; approved this past September by a margin of 2-1, with 75% turnout. There are probably barely a half dozen sycophants who want Dave Walker to stick around. Dave Walker misused his position as CG to conduct his dog-and-pony-show fiscal wake up tour, which is little more than warmed over-Reaganism. His complaint is that Americans expect to collect their social security checks; his solution is that they should die early (what else does it mean to say we are going bankrupt because there are so many old people?). You should inform yourself before issuing commentaries based on your lack of knowledge.

[also anon for same reason]

He's leaving on a Wednesday.....the day before GAO's annual appropriation hearing. This smells like he was asked to leave and promised a rough ride if the did not.

[D. Cupples]

Anon:

I'm sorry. I really DON'T know about the inner workings of the GAO. I've just read many reports over the years and have been very impressed by the entity. I merely assumed that Walker had something to do with that.

Thanks for pointing out potential errors in my thinking, but did you really need to be insulting when you did it?

[D. Cupples]

Second Anon: thanks for the info.

[Former GAO Employee]

GAO's reports were independent and high quality long before Dave Walker showed up. It was a struggle to keep them that way after his arrival, as he liked to put his own "spin" on report language and insert consultant-speak phrases that were difficult to reference back to objective sources. This man loves a "crisis" (real or rhetorically created) so that he can rush to the nations rescue. He has quite the savior complex. An anonymous poll of GAO employees would likely result in a message of "good riddance" to this "CEO" of GAO. Yes, Comptroller General just didn't seem a good enough title, so he renamed his position AND even the agency itself.