04 | June | 2010 | Emptysuit

Sestak And Romanoff Offered Jobs By White House

WHAT HAPPENED: In response to a reporter’s question in February, Sestak said he had been offered a job by the Obama White House in exchange for not running in the Democratic Senate primary in Pennsylvania against incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter. He did not go into any detail about the offer until the White House issued a report last Friday saying Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel asked former president Bill Clinton to talk to Sestak about the possibility of staying in the House and serving on an unpaid presidential advisory board. Sestak said no.
WHAT HE SAID: “I looked at it as another effort by the Democratic establishment to get me out of the race. … There was nothing wrong that was done.”
WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID: The report by White House counsel Bob Bauer said the discussions with Sestak, as well as similar offers made in other administrations, “are fully consistent with the relevant law and ethical requirements.”

WHAT HAPPENED: Romanoff, a former Colorado speaker of the House, issued a statement Wednesday saying that White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina called him in September and said three administration jobs “might be available” if he decided not to run against Sen. Michael Bennet. At the time, Romanoff was not in the race. Romanoff got ane-mail from Messina describing two possible posts at the U.S. Agency for International Development and one at the U.S. Trade Development Agency. Romanoff said he left a voice mail saying he wasn’t interested.
WHAT HE SAID: “At no time was I promised a job, nor did I request Mr. Messina’s assistance in obtaining one.”
WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID: “There wasn’t a job offer. There wasn’t a job promised. Mr. Romanoff applied for a job in government service during the transition … that’s the fact pattern.” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, noting that Romanoff had applied for a job after Obama’s election.

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2010: 06/04
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