Postal Chief In Hot Water Over Cold Coke
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Jan. 16) -- Postmaster General Marvin Runyon is in some hot water over cold Coke. The Justice Department is looking into whether Runyon broke conflict-of-interest rules when he entered into talks with the Coca-Cola Company about putting Coke machines in the lobbies of 40,000 post offices, while at the same time reportedly owning between $50,000 and $100,000 in Coke stock. Runyon bought the stock in 1977 while he was an executive at Ford Motor Company. "Never during discussions of the alliance with Coca-Cola did Mr. Runyon consider he would make any personal gain and was troubled to learn of the appearance of potential conflict," says a statement from the Postal Service. The vending-machine deal was not approved by the Postal Service's governing board when it considered it last year.
Ag Secretary Will Close 'Pockets' Of Discrimination
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Jan. 16) -- While he has found "no nationwide pattern and practice" of discrimination against black farmers, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman says his agency is working hard to sew up what he termed "pockets" of bias. "I do think most of our employees are treating farmers and employees with dignity and respect. There are some that don't. We're going to fix that problem," Glickman said Wednesday on what would have been Martin Luther King's 68th birthday. Glickman said he has stopped pending USDA farm foreclosure sales to examine them for possible bias.
Morris Book Tour Generating News McNuggets
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Jan. 16) -- If you thought Dick Morris was just going to fade away, you should probably think again. The disgraced former Clinton political consultant is out and about flacking his new book, and has generated the following news nuggets over the past few days: Morris may help President Bill Clinton out during his second term, but he won't say exactly how; Morris conducted a poll for the president in May 1996 which found that fewer people believe Paula Jones' version of events in her sexual harassment suit than believe Clinton's; Morris is devoting his life (well, part of it) to convincing his wife, Eileen McGann, to return to him. McGann announced recently that she would divorce Morris. Meanwhile, in other Morris news, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani says he hasn't ruled out hiring Morris to help with his upcoming re-election campaign.
Hillary Clinton: Health Fraud Cop
MINEOLA, N.Y. (AllPolitics, Jan. 16) -- A tip from First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton has led authorities in New York to charge a doctor there with stealing over $1 million from the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs over six years. Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz, 41, of Atlantic Beach, a suburb slightly southeast of New York City, has been charged with falsifying over 13,000 medical tests and procedures between 1989 and 1995. A patient of Schwartz's noticed odd charges on her bill and wrote to the first lady about it. Schwartz has pleaded not guilty to the 51-count indictment. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.