Biden’s FAA is still rudderless because Biden continues to push a candidate that has little air experience and’s covered in corruption.
We’ve written about this previously. Biden’s FAA candidate is buried in corruption but Biden won’t reach out to someone else for the job.
Search Warrant Served To Biden’s FAA Nominee Around Claims Of “Corrupt Contracting Process”
The Daily Mail reported this week that the vacancy for the FAA position is concerning after Southwest Airlines’ recent debacle over the New Year and the system glitch that delayed all planes this past week.
Joe Biden’s pick to head the FAA is Denver International Airport Chief Executive Phil Washington. The president renominated Washington last month to lead the agency.
Washington, however, has faced criticism from Republicans after he was named in a search warrant that tied him to corruption allegations at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Washington has denied wrongdoing. He formerly served as the CEO of the Los Angeles public transport system.
But hold on a second. Cece Woods has been following the situation with Washington for some time.
As if the future of the FAA didn’t already look increasingly bleak, without a leader since March 2022 and the looming confirmation of embattled FAA nominee Phillip Washington, hand-picked by President Biden despite his lack of aviation experience, on Wednesday, the aviation industry was dealt another blow when a nationwide ground stop was forced due to a computer outage…
…While upheaval in the aviation industry continues, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, who heads the panel that oversees the FAA, seems unfazed and as of press time and continues with her plan to hold a hearing for Washington to head the FAA after the new Congress convenes this month.
“The F.A.A. has a crucial safety mandate, and filling this role remains a serious priority for the Biden administration,” said White House spokeswoman, Olivia Dalton. Yet, the agency continues to go without leadership going on a year now…
But Senator Wicker is not ready to move forward with Washington at this time.
After yesterday’s FAA ground stop, Senator Robert Wicker, Senior U.S. Senator for Mississippi, ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released this statement:
Today’s FAA action to halt all U.S. flights underscores this agency’s first mission is safety. But Phil Washington, President Biden’s pick to lead @FAANews, has no safety or aviation experience. We can’t leave the flying public’s wellbeing up to chance. We need a new nominee.”
According to Woods, Washington was listed in warrants issued in September for his actions while in LA:
Washington was named in the criminal warrants along with then LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and her friend and CEO of Peace Over Violence, Patti Giggans. The local criminal investigation spanning three-years under the supervision of Undersheriff Tim Murakami, resulted in Sheriff deputies executing warrants at multiple locations which included the homes of Supervisor Kuehl and Giggans. Deputies seized documents and evidence to support allegations of fraud, abuse and Pay-to-Play at LA Metro.
With Biden under the gun is now the best time to promote another crook in the Biden Administration?