Abstract

The White House Connection

U.S. President Ronald Reagan Administration had allegedly used the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.) grants as a political slush fund during their tenure. In 1983 Rita Lavelle, an assistant administrator of the E.P.A. in charge of the agency's $1.6 billion Superfund program, was indicted on conflict of interest and perjury charges relating in part to her role in using Super fund grants to help elect Republican Congressional candidates. The grand jury testimony and material uncovered by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation in connection with the Lavelle trial, show the existence of a massive and potentially illegal program by the Reagan Administration to manipulate tens of millions of dollars in E.P.A. and H.U.D. funds to boost Republican candidates in Congressional and Senate elections.