Issa seeks probe of White House talks with Sestak

Rep. Darrell Issa, California Republican, called Sunday for an independent investigation of whether the White House offered a job to persuade Rep. Joe Sestak to end his Senate run, in the wake of administration admissions Friday that it had put out feelers to Mr. Sestak via former President Bill Clinton.

Mr. Issa, ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told “Fox News Sunday” he wants the FBI or the Justice Department to investigate the White House’s discussions with Mr. Sestak, Pennsylvania Democrat, about dropping his bid to unseat incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter, who had support from President Obama.

“If they offered a job, it’s a crime,” Mr. Issa said. “It’s clearly a crime. What the White House is now saying happened falls under the statute.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell acknowledged mishandling of the matter by the Obama administration, but downplayed the matter, saying Republicans were attempting to criminalize “hard-knuckle politics.”

“This is why people think Washington is crazy,” the Democratic governor said. “This happens all the time.”

Asked whether the incident contradicts Mr. Obama’s campaign promises of a more transparent and more ethical Washington, Mr. Rendell said the president promised change, but “he didn’t say he was going to change everything about everything.”

“Has he changed hard-knuckle politics? No,” he said.

Mr. Rendell did criticize the White House for “stonewalling” on the topic, something he said was “not smart.”

Mr. Sestak did not drop his campaign and went on to defeat Mr. Specter in the May 18 Democratic primary. He will face Republican Pat Toomey in November.

The White House confirmed Friday that Mr. Clinton had acted as a go-between with Mr. Sestak. A day earlier, the president said there was “nothing improper” about the White House’s conduct.

Friday’s report came amid heavy pressure from Democrats and Republicans for the White House to provide details about Mr. Sestak’s repeated contention that he was offered a job if he would pull out of the race.

In the two-page report, White House lawyer Robert F. Bauer said the job offered was a nonpaying, advisory board position in the executive branch and that accusations of improper conduct by the administration “rest on factual error and lack a basis in the law.”

The report also stated the White House had no direct contact with Mr. Sestak, but that Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel “enlisted the support” of Mr. Clinton to speak with Mr. Sestak.

Mr. Sestak said he received only one call, last summer, from Mr. Clinton on the issue.

“During the course of the conversation, [Mr. Clinton] expressed concern over my prospects if I were to enter the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and the value of having me stay in the House of Representatives because of my military background,” Mr. Sestak said in a written statement. “He said that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had spoken with him about my being on a presidential board while remaining in the House.”

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