Issa calls Obama administration 'one of most corrupt'

London, Jan 3 (ANI): U.S. Representative Darrell Issa, the incoming chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has branded President Barack Obama's administration as "one of the most corrupt administrations".

"In saying that this is one of the most corrupt administrations, which is what I meant to say there. When you hand out a trillion dollars in the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) just before this president came in, most of it unspent, a trillion dollars nearly in stimulus that this president asked for, plus this huge expansion in healthcare and government, it has a corrupting effect," The Washington Post quoted Issa, as saying.

Pressed on the fact that TARP was pushed through by the Bush administration, he said that Obama "inherited" the 800 billion dollars without guidelines, allowing him to use the money like "presidential earmarks." He admitted that Congress shared the blame for not demanding a "blow-by-blow, dollar-by- dollar" plan for the cash.

Talking about the national health care overhaul, he said it is "expanding Medicaid mandates that have been at least tentatively ruled unconstitutional."

Issa also criticised Attorney General Eric H. Holder, saying that the Justice Department has not properly investigated the publication of thousands of classified diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He said Holder should prosecute Assange as a criminal.

"I think [Holder] needs to realize that, for example, WikiLeaks, if the president says, 'I can't deal with this guy as a terrorist,' then he has to be able to deal with him as a criminal," Issa added. He's hurting this administration," Issa said of Holder. "If you're hurting the administration, either stop hurting the administration or leave."

Issa further said that he plans to lead bipartisan investigations on food and drug safety, as well as Medicare fraud. (ANI)