Congress Probes Maritime Agency for Intimidation, Surveillance of Staff, Misuse of Tax Dollars, page 1

By Fred Lucas
May 24, 2012

Congress Probes Maritime Agency for Alleged Intimidation, Covert Surveillance of Staff, Misuse of Tax Dollars


The Federal Maritime Commission is an independent Federal agency responsible for regulating U.S. international ocean transportation for U.S. exporters and importers.

Commissioner Richard A. Lidinsky Jr. is an Obama appointee and was confirmed by Congress.

Now the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is investigating allegations of "politicizing", employee harassment, and misuse of taxpayer funds.

(CNSNews.com) – The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is investigating whether the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) politicized its mission and in the process intimidated staff workers, violated the privacy of some employees, and misused taxpayer funds.

The FMC is an independent agency responsible for regulating U.S. international ocean transportation for U.S. exporters and importers. The commission reviews contracts among carriers, resolves disputes, and seeks to address unfavorable conditions caused by foreign governments in U.S. foreign shipping, and investigates complaints.

The controversy began in relation to Lidinsky’s apparent opposition to agreements with independent owner-operator truck drivers to contract with the Port of Los Angeles in favor of contracting with company-run truck drivers, “who are subject to unionization,” reads the letter from Issa.

FMC economists Roy Pearson and Robert Blair testified in federal court in 2008 that prohibiting independent owner-operator truckers from getting a contract would reduce competition and “unreasonably increase costs.”

In October 2009, according to the Issa letter, Lidinsky appeared to seek retaliation against Blair and Pearson, telling their immediate supervisor Austin Schmitt to “keep an eye on them.” Lidinsky also allegedly said that Blair, a former employee of the World Shipping Council, was a “spy for the carriers” inside the agency, according to the letter.

Sounds like the Obama Administration may be "politicizing" to gain support of that U.N. "Law of the Sea" treaty that Hillary has been talking about lately ??

And, it looks like some employees were against some kind of agreement that included "Unionization" of certain truck drivers ??

Hmmm.

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