WASHINGTON, April 28, 2007
USAID Chief Resigns Over "D.C. Madam" Link
Sources: Randall Tobias Steps Down After Name Surfaces In Call-Girl Investigation
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Photo
Randall Tobias, Ambassador and Acting Administrator of U.S. AID, speaks with reporters at the Stockholm Conference for Lebanon's Early Recovery in Stockholm in this Aug. 31, 2006 file photo. Tobias resigned Friday, citing personal reasons. (AP/Scanpix,Anders Wiklund, File)
It was Tobias' own decision to resign, according to one of the people, who said the issue came up only in the past day or so. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still under way.
Tobias submitted his resignation a day after he was interviewed by ABC News for an upcoming program about an alleged prostitution service run by the so-called D.C. Madam.
ABC reported on its Web site late Friday that Tobias confirmed that he had called the Pamela Martin and Associates escort service to have women come to his condo and give him massages. More recently, Tobias told the network, he has been using a service with Central American women.
Tobias, 65, who is married, told ABC News there had been "no sex" during the women's visits to his condo. His name was on a list of clients given to ABC by Deborah Jeane Palfrey, who owns the escort service and has been charged with running a prostitution ring in the nation's capital.
U.S. officials would not confirm the information. A message left on Tobias' voice mail seeking comment was not returned.
Friday evening, the State Department put out a statement announcing Tobias' resignation, saying he "informed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today that he must step down as Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator effective immediately."
"He is returning to private life for personal reasons," the statement said.
Tobias held two titles: director of U.S. foreign assistance and administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development. His rank was equivalent to deputy secretary of state.
Rice named Tobias to head the two programs in January 2006, and on Wednesday was at the White House, where President Bush praised his efforts coordinating global AIDS relief. Tobias had been the White House's coordinator for global AIDS relief before taking the USAID post.
On Wednesday, Tobias attended a luncheon at the State Department with Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes and actress Angelina Jolie, who was in Washington pushing for more U.S. education aid for developing countries.
Before joining the administration, Tobias was a director and chairman of Eli Lilly and Co., the Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company.
"The lives saved and made better around the globe by Randy's work at the State Department constitute a rich legacy on which he can look back with justifiable pride," department spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday.
Tobias was the second public figure identified as a customer of Palfrey's service. Palfrey recently made good on her threat to identify high-profile clients, listing in court documents a military strategist known for his "shock and awe" combat theories.
Palfrey, 50, was indicted in March by a federal grand jury on charges of running the alleged call-girl ring from her home in Vallejo, Calif. She has denied the escort service engaged in prostitution.
Palfrey claimed she has 46 pounds of phone records involving clients. Efforts to reach her late Friday were unsuccessful. Montgomery Blair Sibley, an attorney who represents Palfrey in non-criminal cases, declined to comment.
In court records, prosecutors estimate that her business, Pamela Martin and Associates, generated more than $2 million in revenue over 13 years, with more than 130 women employed at various times to serve thousands of clients at $200 to $300 a session.
Palfrey had threatened to sell phone records that would identify 10,000 clients to pay for her criminal defense, but a federal judge ordered her not to release them. Palfrey, however, gave them to ABC News before the order took effect.
Prosecutors have accused Palfrey of trying to intimidate potential witnesses by exposing them publicly.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 102 CommentsHey, wait a minute - testosterone is secreted from male testes - and we all know Bushies have no balls...otherwise he'd have served our country during Vietnam!
Something isn't right about this report.
Ummm, I guess we're back where we started;
what's the definition of sexx?
Inhale next time azz-hole...live a little!
They came over for coffee and donuts.
Tobias confirmed that he had called the Pamela Martin and Associates escort service to have women come to his condo and give him massages.
with more than 130 women employed at various times to serve thousands of clients at $200 to $300 a session.
Pretty expensive back rub.
On Wednesday was at the White House, where President Bush praised his efforts coordinating global AIDS relief.
It looks like a praise by bush is a death sentence,since rice gave him the job could it be she is involved?
Here again is the proof of the morals bush said he would bring to the white house in 1999.
At least we found one that likes women instead of little boys.
Maybe you don't inhale but we know you do swallow.
In 1999 it wasn't the democrats that was spouting morals GEE I wonder who it was.
Republicans are always having a go at the Dems for not having morals.
But of course, in recent years, it's the Republicans that can't "keep it in their pants".
Oh well, I guess the Republicans are showing their true immoral selves - and at least Tobias was into women instead of little boys like that other sicko.
I didn't think we'd see you again after you scurried off (or was that "cut and run") the other day.
Were you hoping that we'd all forgot?
Oh well, you can go back to your little bridge now, troll.
I guess their "morality" is all based on lies.
"Tobias, 65, who is married, told ABC News there had been "no ***" during the women's visits to his condo. His name was on a list of clients given to ABC by Deborah Jeane Palfrey, who owns the escort service and has been charged with running a prostitution ring in the nation's capital."
Either he couldn't get it up or he's lying.
""The lives saved and made better around the globe by Randy's work at the State Department constitute a rich legacy on which he can look back with justifiable pride," department spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday."
lol - maybe that's his problem - he was just too "randy". groan
now were have we hurd that before.
AGAIN THE BUSH ADMINASTRATION GOES AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS COUNTRY..
ITS STATES THAT NO ONE PERSON CAN HOLD 2 OFFICES AT THE SAME TIME..NO ONE.....
LIKE I HURD HERE A FEW DAYS AGO, ANYONE FOR FRIED RICE..................
Anyone who supports this moron we have for a president is an IDIOT!!!!!!
IMPEACH BUSH NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Are we going to survive until '08?
Sissy
On April 19, the FBI raided Renzi's wife's business. He has also been the subject of an investigation into a 2005 land deal, and he's now entangled in the scandal surrounding the firings of eight U.S. attorneys %u2014 his chief of staff has acknowledged calling Arizona's prosecutor's office to discuss the matter.
ALE- THIS IS FOR YOU-******
Maybe you don't inhale but we know you do swallow.
Sissy
Posted by Sissy_8 at 07:55 AM : Apr 28, 2007
Yes they have been robbing the treasury blind and the janitor that sweeps the floor is doing an excellent job.
HERE YOUR MAN
Rudy Giuliani said if a Democrat is elected president in 2008, America will be at risk for another terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, 2001.
But if a Republican is elected, he said, especially if it is him, terrorist attacks can be anticipated and stopped.
%u201CIf any Republican is elected president %u2014 and I think obviously I would be the best at this %u2014 we will remain on offense and will anticipate what [the terrorists] will do and try to stop them before they do it,%u201D Giuliani said.
THIS GUY SHOULD BE SHOT FOR WHAT HE STATED..
V.P.D/I/C/K, HAS GONE INTO HIDEING,HES NEXT ON THE DEMS WALCOME MATT.....
I know thats not the truth =)
Posted by didntinhale at 08:02 AM : Apr 28, 2007
Are you saying the democrats should be like the right wing conservative nut jobs that were giving Clinton the business instead of letting it be between he and his wife is this what you are trying to say.
Maybe a little pr for the funding, they just can't stop with their bullsh*t.
Maybe Tobias, can join Gonzalas in Mexico.
Another tighty whitey righty swindler from the Bushit disaster.
Impeach now!
"I mean this is a matter thats between him and his wife is it not? If not then that would make you Liberals a bunch of political hacks and hypocrits.
I know thats not the truth =)"
LOL - you immoral Republicans constantly remind everyone of that moron Clintons "indiscretion", but you can't handle it when it comes back to bite you.
Hypocrites.
Oh, by the way, it's not just between him and his wife and the police and those he served - the people.
You do realize that he broke a law if he paid for ***, don't you?
Posted by meboard
Ok Trolls better wait a minute that madam has a ton of names yet to come out yet.
Could be a democratic candidate or two yet to be exposed. Dont worry I will be here to serve you the CROW when that happens =)
Posted by didntinhale at 06:44 AM : Apr 28, 2007:
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Classic case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Once again CBS is feeding the frenzy.
Get a little action from an escort=disgrace and immorality.
Republican values. No wonder they lost the last election.
Call Ken Starr !!
I guess so. Hey life in the capital gets pretty hectic. The guy just got a back rub to relax his stressed nerves.
Where's the compassion? So he 'might' have had a desert with the rub. If he didn't he is a NUT!
Once again CBS is feeding the frenzy.
Posted by rohink at 08:52 AM : Apr 28, 2007
--------------------------------------------
ABC News put the story out there. CBS is only
doing what every other major news outlet is doing: REPORTING IT...
"Well golly gee McPussy. Bill Clinton broke the Law by comitting Felony Purjury in front of a federal Judge.
Bill Clinton Broke the Law when we lied to Ken Star and the other special investigators but we were all asked to forgive him because it was Lust about ***."
Yeah, and he should have had his a$$ sent to prison for lying and the various associated crimes.
So, you and I are in agreement on that. Can a troll like you even understand that?
Now, back to the topic at hand - Tobias (or "Randy" as he's affectionately" known amongst Republican circles), should face up to what he's done.
Telling everyone that he *didn't* have *** with the women who he paid?
***??? Either he couldn't get it up or he's lying.
For his sake, I hope he gets caught out on a lie.
Now, for you to say that it's just between him and his wife is more hypocritical BS.
Republicans were screaming for that moron Clintons blood - and you know that.
Now, if "Randy" did have *** with prostitutes, then he broke the law and for that he deserves to be punished.
It's just kind of funny that the supposedly "moral" Republicans get proven to be hypocrites. :-)
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ct=title&ie=UTF-8&ncl=1115817494
"Hey he never said he had s-ex did he. It was only a massage right?"
Bwahahahahahahahahaha. Just how freakin' gullible are you?
You are so pathetic - I bet you would have been wetting your pants when you heard about Clinton, yet you just can't accept that the so called "moral" Republicans are the opposite.
You better get used to the headlines "Republican caught in *** scandal" because Republicans are coming out of the closet all over the place and they are being shown as the filthy perverts we always new they were.
"Im trying to agree with you Liberal Democrats McPussy its his Personal Life and we need to stop being invasive Prudes.
After all Even Aid Chiefs have personal Lives."
lol - surely as a troll you can come up with something better than that.
Sure he got a "massage". Did you know that he could have gone to many legitimate massage therapists and he could have kept his job.
lol - you sure are gullible. Wanna buy a bridge?
And as for liberals being "invasive prudes", sorry, doesn't work.
Republicans have long prided themselves on being prudes - except, we all know it's a lie.
I suspect we're going to learn more about ol' "Randy" and his visits to prostitutes.
Once again, the message coming from these clowns is to "do what I say - not what I do".
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