Archive for 2023

K-12 IMPLOSION UPDATE: Former Arlington teachers union president arrested in Fairfax County.

A former president of the Arlington teachers union, who was ousted last spring, has been charged with embezzling more than $400,000 from the organization.

Ingrid Gant, 54, of Woodbridge, was arrested yesterday (Monday) in Prince William County on four counts of embezzlement. She was taken to the county’s jail and later released on an unsecured bond, according to a press release from the Fairfax County Police Department today (Tuesday).

Fox 5 first reported the arrest.

Gant led the Arlington Education Association (AEA) for six years before being ousted last spring along with her executive board.

FCPD says it was notified of her potential theft last September after an internal audit determined she had “failed to provide financial reports and failed to file tax returns,” raising concerns from Arlington Education Association board members, per the release.

More here: “After six months of reviewing her activity, investigators discovered Gant gifted herself $350,000 worth of bonuses and pay from 2020 to 2022. She also allegedly charged $70,000 on business debit cards for personal items like gas, food, and even amazon purchases.”

COOL. NOW DO WASHINGTON: Ukraine’s Zelensky Removes Top Officials in Bid to Contain Corruption Scandals.

Though the scandals are small compared with those of previous Ukrainian governments—some of which were accused of stealing billions in public funds—they are nonetheless a blow to Mr. Zelensky, who has garnered praise at home and abroad for his leadership of the country during Russia’s invasion.

Mr. Zelensky’s decision to dispatch apparently tainted officials, while others tendered resignations, underscores the importance of maintaining a clean image, both for Ukrainian citizens, who are dying in their thousands on the front lines and enduring economic hardship, and for Western governments, which are giving Ukraine billions in aid despite their own tepid economies. In the U.S., some Republicans have openly questioned whether the country should continue to fund Ukraine at the same levels as last year.

In a series of public addresses this week, Mr. Zelensky indicated he was seeking to clean house by dismissing officials of various levels in ministries, the regions and law enforcement, and tried to present the firings as proof of a break from corrupt regimes of the past.

I don’t know how much of this might just be a whitewash, but it’s still more than we’ve done.

SO YOU WERE SEATED NEXT TO A BORE: Cambridge Professor John Lennox, mathematician extraordinaire and Christian apologist, explains on HillFaith how he deals with such an awkward situation. He’s entertaining, but he’s also got a serious point.

AND THE BIDEN WEIRDNESS GETS WEIRDER: Add Carolina Biden, Hunter’s makeup-stealing cousin, to the parade of Biden family troubles. The Washington Free Beacon’s Andrew Kerr and Joseph Simonson has the scoop on “our family’s sick.”

I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO CALL THE POLICE BECAUSE KEVIN MCCARTHY BASICALLY MURDERED THIS REPORTER LAST NIGHT:

Much more like this, please.

NEO AND GERARD ARE IN MY PRAYERS:  For Gerard.

JEFFREY CARTER: “A bunch of states coordinated a ‘tax the rich’ effort. Interesting that it comes out just a few months after a midterm election. Timing is everything! California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, and Washington all want as John Kerry says, ‘Money Money Money’.”

Oh, great. More refugees to the red states.