Alphonso Jackson is the latest in a line of Bush loyalists who finds himself in the hot seat for politicizing the awarding of contracts from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Top aides to Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson testified that they and other senior staff members were advised to take political leanings into consideration when awarding discretionary contracts, according to an internal report issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s inspector general.

Despite Jackson’s edict, there is no evidence that “information regarding political affiliation was routinely or generally received, maintained or applied to the contracting process; however, there were some limited instances where political affiliation may have been a factor in contract issues involving Jackson,” the report found.

However, it was not aides who tipped off Congress to Jackson’s alleged actions. It was actually Jackson himself who let his intentions out of the bag.

The inspector general’s investigation was launched following an exclusive Dallas Business Journal report on comments Jackson made at an April 28 real estate gathering in Dallas. At the private event, Jackson, former president and CEO of the Dallas Housing Authority, told attendees he canceled a contract with a contractor who had criticized President Bush.

“Why should I reward someone who doesn’t like the president, so they can use the funds to try to campaign against the president?” Jackson said at the event. “Logic says they don’t get the contract. That’s the way I believe.”

The secretary’s comments set off a political firestorm, with several Democratic lawmakers calling for an investigation or Jackson’s resignation, and with Jackson issuing a formal apology.

Jackson has now found himself in a position where some are calling for his head in wanting him to resign from his position. Jackson says that this incident never really happened in that way and he exaggerated the story. The contractor in question doesn’t remember a confrontation and the contract was not cancelled.

However, despite this incident not happening, this still does not explain away why some contractors with leanings opposite that of the President had their contracts cancelled after some personal intervention by Jackson.

So, we shall see how much political hay will be made over this. In the meantime, I would suggest that Mr. Alphonso Jackson consider getting his resume in order.

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