Under pressure to come up with a credible sounding reason for firing Inspector General Gerald Walpin, the White House told Congress that Walpin acted confused and disoriented at a meeting.
“Mr. Walpin was removed after a review was unanimously requested by the bi-partisan Board of the Corporation,” Obama ethics counsel Norm Eisen wrote in a letter to senators Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Me.), with a copy directed to McCaskill. “The Board’s action was precipitated by a May 20, 2009 Board meeting at which Mr. Walpin was confused, disoriented, unable to answer questions and exhibited other behavior that led the Board to question his capacity to serve.”
Walpin refutes the allegation.
“Anybody who’s heard me speaking more than I’m used to speaking on radio and TV in recent days, obviously under great pressure from what happened would clearly know that I know what I’m saying and what I’m doing and I’m not incoherent,” Walpin told POLITICO. “There’s nothing confusing about malfeasance and there’s nothing confusing about what appears to be the fact that they terminated me because I was doing my job because the White House wanted to protect people who proclaim they are friends of the White House.”
Even if Walpin acted somewhat confused, could it have been worse than this? Maybe his teleprompter malfunctioned. It happens all the time. Who knows, maybe he walked into a window or something.
Update: Mr. Walpin spoke to Glenn Beck this afternoon about the president’s allegation that he’s senile or something. Video below.
