WASHINGTON (CNN) - Federal agents arrested a District of Columbia government official and a Washington-area businessman on conspiracy charges Thursday and searched the offices of the district's chief technology officer as part of a corruption probe.
Yusuf Acar, a contracting officer for Washington's city government, and Sushil Bansal, a former city employee, are accused of swindling the city out of several million dollars by inflating purchase orders and billing the city for work by non-existent employees of Bansal's companies. They made initial appearances in federal court on Thursday.
Both are charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and money laundering, while Acar faces separate charges of wire fraud and conflict of interest, according to court papers.
As part of the probe, agents raided the office of Washington's chief technology officer, the agency responsible for overseeing the city's telecommunications infrastructure. The raid came a week after the Obama administration named the office's former director, Vivek Kundra, as the White House chief information officer, but a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that Kundra is not involved in the case.
The White House called the probe "a serious matter," but referred further questions to the Justice Department.
Updated: 6:22 p.m.
– CNN's Carol Cratty and Terry Frieden contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
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One has to wonder how many of those "selected conservative" new hires under the prior administration might be doing their jobs. Packing the Justice Department with political ideologues is a dangerous policy and all people hired under the past administration should be reviewed for tendencies to selectively investigate and prosecute progressive people. I think it's time to clean house in the Justice Department.
"Federal agents searched the office of the District of Columbia's chief technology officer Thursday — a week after President Barack Obama named the former head of that office as his administration's chief information officer, according to CNN affiliate WJLA."
Wow, you people cannot read and comprehend what you have just read.
The office of the "chief technology officer" was searched; a week after President Obama named THE FORMER HEAD OF TH AT OFFICE.
The article does not state Mr. Vivek Kundra is being investigated.
I think Rachel Ray is a little hottie.
Follow this.
1) Chicago politics is corrupt.
2) Obama rose fast in it.
3) Obama is corrupt.
4) Obama appointed him
5) He is corrupt.
6) The FBI figured it out.
One Big A.. Mistake America
@ dave b..obama is supported by the people,an once you have the people behind you.you and cnn and the rest of the haters will be riding shot gun.heee heee.get out of the way of progress.
I'm sorry, but the republican party is populated with uneducated trailer park types and the Dems are college educated and informed people..... it's just a fact.
Innocent until proven guilty....
CNN – Would you please take my email off this site. I put them in when I was going to make a post and thought I had to put this in.
Hey guys, its not Vivek thats under investigation, its the former head of the office. Learn to read.
Hey all you right-wingers I know that you don't like to be bothered with pesky facts and details but this bribery allegation revolves around a contract that was granted over a year ago. That would mean that it was a Bush-era scandal that is now being brought to light under the Obama administration. So although I am sure you right-wing nut jobs will spin it that there is some Chicago conspiracy in there that is trying to cover up his non-citizenship and commie/socialist/fascist agenda, but for the rationale non-trolls reading, please don't feed the rhetoric fire.
I hear Bernie Madoff is looking for a position. Maybe Obama could nominate him to something, after all the are both used to stealing from the rich!!! LOL
to all those dumb repub clowns: where other (intelligent) people have a brain, you have a peanut! Don't judge and scream before you know the facts. And, get over it, your guy lost the election and Obama will win again in 2012. Face the music!
To unhappy American – Sounds like you are one of those neo-cons.
Why don't YOU get a job? – 1980 called. It wants its' insults back.
@erica...
Color me stupid... but what in the heck does "succeed from the union" mean???
@ Had It, who said "gossip leads the way"
Well, let's face it...in American politics, the accusation equals the conviction, which is why even with the slightest toe-hold, a person from one party will instantly start spouting accusations of horrible things about the other....and the media loves it because controversy sells, not reasonable, rational, thoughtful journalism...that silly profession died ages ago. I mean really...look what happened to Gary Condit and we're finding out right now that he is and always was completely innocent (other than the affair, which is a personal matter). All good things must die in the name of ratings.
I don't know why anybody is suprise. What did you expect to happen when you have thugs picking thugs. TO you actually think this was an honest election.
Welcome Back Carter days are here again.
I want to Thank everyone here that voted for the most inexperience and clueless teleprompter ever to be POTUS.
On the brighter side we have 3+ years to go. GOD help us all.
cnn ticker is in recession lol.only 3 0r 4 stories so far.huffington post is # 1.cnn always like 2, 3 days behind.no time to spin stories how they want to.
MAJOR NEWS!!!!
Congressional Democrats have pushed the Justice Deptartment into investigating Arizona Sherrif Joe Arpaio.
His crime?? Enforcing US laws detaining illegal immigrants. Over 16,000 illegal immigrants have been detained.
WHO requested this investigation??
John Conyers (D-Mich)
Jerrold Nadler (D-Ny)
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
Robert Scott (D-VA)
THIS is going to blow up. Democrats targeting a LAW ABIDING SHERRIF because they don't want to enforce laws deporting illegals is going to be baaaaad news for democrats!!!
kevin in colorado. i have a grad degree and the most beautiful trailer in my trailer park.
The fact that 99% of the posters don't even understand the article (they searched the office of the FORMER head, not the one Obama appointed) shows how the media will take any story and word it in the most inflammatory way possible. The media isn't biased toward any party. They will throw either party under the bus to increase readers/viewers.
Me said:
"If there were enough of you to matter, our dead country would be being run into the ground by McCain."
Yeah, you're right darn old John Mccain and his anti-pork stance, that would really be bad for the country, you idiot. Oh well, I'm sure Obama will still go through the budget line by line and remove the pork like he said, right? (insert evil laugh)
Soccer Nana wrote: Wow, you people cannot read and comprehend what you have just read. The office of the "chief technology officer" was searched; a week after President Obama named THE FORMER HEAD OF
TH AT OFFICE.
Hang in there Soccer Nana, I know it's hard dealing with the knee jerk reactions of uninformed, under educated right wing nut jobs. I'd tell them to read a book.............. but I don't think Harry Potter qualifies.
Why isn't CNN reporting on the fact that the President Pelosi Porkulas Package was probably signed by her puppet Obozo mainly so that he could pay back Acorn and the Kennedys for helping to get his sorry inexperienced behind elected? The Kennedy Presidential Library and an Institute named after Ted the Murderer are getting over $100,000,000!!!! No wonder Bush vowed to veto it if it came before him during his watch. Notice the President (the REAL President, that is, and that's Pelosi) just sat back and waited until her boy took power.
You know, they could've been searching his place to determine if he was the victim of eavesdropping or being "bugged"...you GOPers need to lay off the crack pipe....we've got ZERO information one way or the other.
Actually, even I got that backwards in quoting it, but the point is there is no connection to the Obama appointee stated.