Earlier last year, ACORN founder Wade Rathke glowingly blogged that Patrick Gaspard, political director of the White House, was a former ACORN organizer. When that claim started receiving a bit of attention, Rathke offered a retraction, saying his memory was playing tricks on him. Right, Wade, right…
What is indisputable about Patrick Gaspard is that at one time, he was the Executive Vice President of SEIU Local 1199, the New York City-based chapter that is the largest of all SEIU locals. At some point in late 2007 or early 2008, Gaspard allegedly left SEIU to join the Obama campaign.
Obama won the primary, and ultimately the general election, and Gaspard was named the Director of Political Affairs in the White House – a heady and important job.
So it should give transparency and clean government advocates a bit of concern to see in calendar year 2009, Gaspard received a whopping $37,191 from SEIU 1199. Assuming he officially became a federal employee on January 20th (Inauguration Day), it amounted to nearly $2,000 a day in compensation.
Gaspard left the SEIU to join the Obama campaign – which presumably was more than a full-time job – then became an upper-level staffer during the transition. But apparently all the while, he was still on the SEIU dime.
And as he was making arrangements to occupy an office in the West Wing, he was still on the SEIU payroll. It causes one to wonder: who is Gaspard serving?