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Journalism of Courage
The White House is declining to make public the financial histories of the commissioners President Bush appointed to investigate US intelligence failures. Critics say the White House’s refusal to disclose financial information raises questions about potential conflicts of interest that could cloud the panel’s work.
Citing an exemption to federal ethics regulations, the White House says the financial disclosure statements filed by the commission’s nine members will remain confidential because they are not being paid for their work.
But experts said the White House’s refusal to make public the commission’s business links may fuel questions about its independence and taint its investigation into one of the Bush administration’s biggest potential political vulnerabilities: the quality of intelligence used to justify the Iraq war and other issues involving unconventional weapons. Laurence H. Silberman, a conservative judge who is one of the commission’s two co-chairmen, has drawn particular criticism because of his judicial record and close ties to the Bush administration. Several other commissioners also have financial links to groups in the West Asia and the defence industry that could become involved in the inquiry.
