IG-Gate: Asking the right questions

The unexplained resignation of AmTrak inspector general Fred Wiederhold raises an important question:

WHO IS ELEANOR ACHESON?

Exactly why that's an important question . . . well, maybe Fred Wiederhold could explain that, but nobody's heard a word from Fred since he resigned Thursday.

What we do know is that Wiederhold was asked to provide "specific examples of agency interference with OIG audits and/or investigations." Maybe if somebody looked closely at those specific examples, they'd find Ms. Acheson's fingerprints, but that's strictly a hypothetical, because Wiederhold resigned before he could produce those specific examples.

What we do know is that Amtrak is Joe Biden's favorite government boondoggle, that Ms. Acheson donated to Biden's presidential campaign, and that Amtrak is budgeted for $1.3 billion in stimulus money -- money that Wiederhold would have been watchdogging for "waste, fraud and abuse," if he hadn't resigned last week.

Another question that needs to be asked: When are Sen. Joe Lieberman and Sen. Susan Collins going to convene a hearing on the firing of AmeriCorps IG Gerald Walpin?

As Rick Moran notes at American Thinker, we're now up to three ex-IGs in less than two weeks and there seems to be a pattern developing. This is to say nothing of the situation with Neil Barofsky, special IG for the TARP bailout money, who is at odds with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

You spend a little shoe-leather on Capitol Hill, and next thing you know, somebody's explaining that the two questions for Timothy Geithner are "what did he know and when did he know it?"

Watch out for that bus, Mr. Geithner.

Thanks to Carol at No Sheeples Here for the artwork, which is merely hypothetical. Thanks to Jimmie Bise for paying close attention, and to Pundette for her praise of the old-fashioned shoe-leather method.

UPDATE: Jehuda the Rhetorican sees the plot thickening and, as predicted, Michelle Malkin likes the Ellie Acheson question.

The point is, it's the right question. After I posted about Acheson, I made a phone call: "Am I right?"

"Even more right than you were a couple of hours ago."

We'll call that source Deep Cleavage. Throw 'em so far off the scent, they'll need a map . . .

UPDATE II: More linky-love for the Amtrak IG story from Frugal Cafe and Fire Andrea Mitchell.

UPDATE III: Acheson was brought in as general counsel after Amtrak fired five top officials in December 2006. Thanks to Moe Lane for the tip.