By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
It was like any other school formal, down to the satin dresses, untucked suits and thumping pop music. At first glance, the only sign the ballroom in the District's elegant Willard Hotel was playing host to something special Sunday was that, unlike an average dance, there were no wallflowers at the sixth annual Cinderella Ball.
"I like that the Marines are here," Maria Allen said with a wink, before adding proudly that her daughter would be attending Northern Virginia Community College.
