At Friday’s White House briefing, press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked, for the fifth time in less than three weeks, about Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak’s charge that the White House offered Sestak a high-ranking job if Sestak would drop his challenge to Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania. And for the fifth time, Gibbs refused to answer the question of whether the White House offered a bribe to protect the fortunes of a key political ally.
The story started on February 18, when Sestak told a talk radio host that the offer had come last summer, when Sestak was considering a run against Specter. Sestak, a retired Navy admiral, was asked whether he was offered the position of Secretary of the Navy. “No comment,” Sestak said. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the White House “strongly denied” Sestak’s allegation.
On February 23, Gibbs was asked whether he had “any comment” on Sestak’s charge. “I was traveling for a couple of days, as you know,” Gibbs answered. “I have seen some stuff that he said, but I have not looked into this.”
Later in the briefing, a reporter pointed out that the White House had “vociferously” denied the story. “When you said, ‘I haven’t looked into this,'” the reporter asked Gibbs, “I want to make sure you’re not contradicting that denial.”
“I just — because I was on the road and dealing with different things on the road,” Gibbs responded, “I’ve not had a chance to delve into this….Like I said, I was on the road and I don’t really have a whole lot of knowledge on this.”
On March 1, the subject came up again. “Last Monday, you were asked twice about the claims of Congressman Sestak, that he had been offered a high-ranking administration position — ” a reporter began.
“I have not made any progress on that,” Gibbs said.
The reporter pointed out that the Pentagon had said there was no discussion of any job, but that Sestak stood behind his charge. “Can you check if the White House made any offer?” the reporter asked.
“Yes, I was remiss on this and I apologize,” Gibbs said.
“Can I follow up on that?” asked the reporter.
“There’s not much to follow up on,” Gibbs said. “Let me check into that.”
On March 9, the issue came up again. “You told us a couple of times you’d check back on this,” a reporter asked. “Can you give us an update?”
“I don’t have the update with me, but let me check and see if I do have anything — ” Gibbs said.
On March 11, Gibbs was asked, “Last Tuesday you told us, ‘I don’t have the update with me on Sestak.’ Two things have happened since then — ”
“I don’t have any — ” Gibbs said.
“[Rep.] Darrell Issa sent a letter to the White House counsel — ”
“I don’t have anything additional on that,” Gibbs said.
And finally, on March 12, Gibbs was asked, “Do you have an answer yet on Mr. Sestak’s charge?”
“I don’t have any more information on that,” Gibbs said.
Sestak’s charge is a serious one that could potentially involve criminal conduct on the part of someone in the administration. And Sestak, while not offering any new details, is standing by his story. “Something happened last July before I got in the race,” he said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program March 9. When he was asked about it on the radio program, Sestak continued, “I answered it honestly; I just said yes, but I didn’t go beyond that. And actually, Joe, I don’t think I should. That’s politics.” Just to clarify, Sestak said, of the radio interview, “They said to me, have you been offered a job not to get in the race, or to get in the race? And I said yes.”
Not only is the charge serious; Sestak himself, with his long career in the Navy before winning a seat in Congress, is a serious source. On March 8, at a health care event in Pennsylvania, President Obama referred to Sestak as “somebody who rendered outstanding service to our nation before he was in Congress.”
And yet, after an initial denial, the White House spokesman hasn’t been able to muster any comment on the allegation. Gibbs has not repeated the denial, hasn’t issued a new one, and has now dropped any pretense of checking on the story. How long will the Sestak Stonewall continue?
