The Daily Muck

The White House confirmed on Wednesday that leaders of France, Germany, and Britain lobbied President Bush over the controversial U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tanker contract. The contract was initially awarded to a European firm but has since been put back into competition by Defense Secretary Gates. (McClatchy)

Ceclia M. Grimes, the former lobbyist and friend of former Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA), will plead guilty to destroying records related to a federal probe of Weldon. Grimes is charged with the destruction of evidence and has a hearing scheduled for next week. (UPI)

IndyMac Bancorp is being investigated by the FBI for possible fraud. The FBI has revealed the investigation in light of the bank’s collapse, but it is unknown how long the probe has been ongoing. Law enforcement says the investigation is focused on the company itself rather than the individuals who ran it. (AP)

The House voted to expand their oversight role yesterday by passing a bill giving lawmakers greater access to national secrets. This bill comes after complaints from many Democratic lawmakers that they are being left out of many confidential, and controversial, issues. (AP)

The Government Accountability Office reported yesterday that companies acquired millions of dollars in government contracts by making false claims about being based out of poor neighborhoods. This problem may be even more widespread, as the GAO reports that the Small Business Administration does not usually check paperwork or conduct audits. (LA Times)

The Iraq reconstruction Inspector General and his deputy have been cleared by the U.S. government of fraud and abuse charges. The Inspector General and his deputy were accused by anonymous former staffers of fraud, abuse, and workplace violations including sexual harassment. (AP)

A recent Environmental Protection Agency audit has revealed that at least $78 million of the $300 appropriated by Congress to improve Texas’ colonias in the 1990s has gone unspent. The audit blames small-town governments and the EPA’s minimal oversight for this failure. (AP)