Expensive Tripp
By Gary Aldrich (11/14/03)
This past week it was announced that the federal government decided to settle a lawsuit brought by Linda Tripp. Linda is to receive more than half a million dollars and other considerations, based on her claims that the Department of Defense employees violated her privacy by releasing embarrassing details from her background investigation.
Linda, as most will recall, passed tape recorded conversations between her and Monica Lewinsky to Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr. Starr, in turn, launched an FBI undercover sting operation to catch those of the president’s close friends believed to be engaged in obstruction of justice. Monica had confided in Linda about her affair with Bill Clinton, and the tapes were clear evidence that at least Monica, if not Bill, believed she was having sex with him.
News reporters heard about Linda, Monica, and the affair, and Linda instantly became a “person of interest” to the Clinton damage control spin machine. Someone at the Department of Defense reviewed her background file and found some embarrassing information describing immature conduct on the part of a young Linda when she attended school in upstate New York. The secret material was released to the media, who made the most of the information.
After it was clear where, and from whom, the information had been obtained, the Department of Defense launched an internal investigation. Although it seemed obvious that a Clinton political hack had been the one to give out the “goodies” from Linda’s file, no punishment was in store for the Clinton loyalist.
Meanwhile, Linda Tripp’s life became a living hell. Struggling to keep her government job against a very hostile political environment inside the DOD, Linda was finally terminated by outgoing president Clinton on Inauguration Day, thereby denying Linda and her family a much deserved federal retirement. For Linda’s courage in coming forward, she was fired, lost her retirement, and was prosecuted by the State of Maryland for taping calls without Monica’s permission.
Naturally, Linda felt betrayed by her own government and decided to sue. That was many years ago. One might logically ask why it takes so long to get cases through the federal courts when it involves federal employees making claims against their present or past employer. The question takes on special meaning when one realizes the government does not drag feet because it can’t afford to pay the victim’s claims.
After all, didn’t we just hear – for example – how the DOD spent more than $184 million last year to upgrade DOD employees’ air travel needs? They requested and obtained first class or business class seating as they flew about, while you and I and the rest of the bone-weary traveling public squeezed ourselves into those little-bitty coach seats, enjoying our snack of exactly seven pretzels and a can of diet cola.
Ah, the joys of being a federal employee! Just keep your head down, your mouth shut, and look beyond the corruption and incompetence, and in turn the feds will take very good care of you and even buy you a first class glass of wine! But fly the unfriendly skies experienced during the average whistle-blower’s journey, and not only will they take your pretzels away, but they will use a team of lawyers and their bag of tricks to deny justice for as long as they possibly can.
This is not about a political party. It isn’t even about the past or current occupant of the White House. The federal government has become a jealous, petulant child, bloated with money and power. If any federal employee even dares to bring order to chaos, shine a light on political corruption, or expose old-fashioned criminal greed, the “system” – the bureaucracy – adopts the techniques first perfected by the Mafia! The Mafia oath of Omerta, or silence, is alive and well, even during war times and the honest Bush Administration.
When President Bush ran for office in 1999, he said he would return ethics and morality to the White House. Maybe soon he’ll promise much needed reforms to federal agencies that have become defiant, arrogant, and have no qualms about destroying the lives and careers of honest employees who come forward to right a serious wrong.
After all, part of the job of the White House is to properly manage the federal agencies. This would, I presume, include the identification and rooting out of a corrupt environment that has gone on far too long.
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