WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a member of the House
Energy and Commerce Committee and a Chief Deputy Whip, said President Bush
should reconsider the services of Richard Perle.
Perle,
who is chairman of the Defense Policy Board and a central figure in the
Bush Administration’s policy on Iraq, was hired by Global Crossing to persuade
the Defense Department to drop its objection to the sale of the company
to buyers in Hong Kong and Singapore.
“Richard
Perle has access and influence within the Defense Department and the White
House. No one is fooled as to why, as chair of the Defense Policy
Board, he was hired by Global Crossing to lobby the Defense Department,”
Schakowsky said.
She
added, “What is even more disturbing is that Mr. Perle, an influential
voice within the Administration, is willing to represent a company seeking
the approval of a sale that the Defense Department and the FBI have warned
may threaten our national security.”
“Beyond
the clear case of conflict of interest, Mr. Perle’s actions may weaken
our security interests. For those reasons, President Bush should
reconsider the services of Mr. Perle,” Schakowsky concluded. |
