Dear Justice Dept, I know it’s been a while since we talked, but I felt compelled to reach out to you. I read a report this morning by Brian Ross, Anna
“„“We need something really attractive to engage the gangs and the street kids, golf is the hook,” said J. Robert Flores, the administrator of the Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
“„The Justice Department, in a decision by Flores, gave the money to the World Golf Foundation’s First Tee program, even though Justice Department staffers had rated the program 47th on a list of 104 applicants. The allegations were first reported earlier this year by the trade journal Youth Today.
“„“I don’t know why people insist on denigrating it, it’s a sound program,” Flores told ABC News.
“„Current and former Justice Department employees allege that Flores ignored the staff rankings in favor of programs that had political, social or religious connections to the Bush White House.
“„A Washington, D.C. program, Best Friends, that promotes abstinence was awarded $1.1 million by Flores even though it ranked 53rd on a list of 104 applicants.
“„Best Friends is run by Elayne Bennett, the wife of Bill Bennett, a former Republican cabinet member and now political commentator.