The former Washington DC city office of Vivek Kundra, the man Obama selected as federal chief information officer (CIO), is under investigation by the FBI, and two arrests have been made so far. Reportedly, Yusuf Acar, who is a security officer in the city’s technology office, took bribe money from Sushil Bansal, the head of Advanced Integrated Technologies, for awarding city contracts. Charges also include conflict of interests, money laundering, and billing for ‘ghost employees.’ That latter scheme involves making people appear and disappear in a database. They lead professional lives, get paid, and presumably vote and take part in government surveys which result in government policy. Boo.
Kundra, who will be working on Obama’s pet project of compiling all information on all Americans and housing it in the federal database (on pretense saving money, and a deep respect for our collective knowledge), has taken leave of absence pending the outcome of the FBI’s investigation. Before accepting Obama’s assignment as federal CIO, Kundra was CTO for the city of Washington and worked at the office where his colleagues were arrested.
References:
“F.B.I. Raids Obama Official’s Former Office,” Reuters, March 12, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/03/12/washington/news-us-obama-kundra-raid.html?_r=1&ref=technology
