Boehner Asks Pelosi To Fire CAO Beard

House Minority Leader John Boehner called Wednesday for the firing of House Chief Administrative Officer Dan Beard, accusing the CAO of "wasting taxpayer funds" and of "using his nonpartisan office for partisan political purposes and self-promotion."

“Mr. Beard’s complete disregard for the interests of American taxpayers and the recklessly partisan manner in which he has carried out his duties make him unfit for this office,” Boehner wrote in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Boehner said that Pelosi "handpicked" Beard "without bipartisan consultation" and urged the speaker to make a more consensus choice.

The letter accuses Beard of "tak[ing] numerous taxpayer-funded trips to promote himself and the Democratic Majority" and accuses Beard of being personally involved with questionable financial dealings with regard to $90,000 worth of controversial “carbon offsets,” a costly new food service contract signed without required approvals, and a $700,000 Capitol dome lighting study.

“Clearly, we don’t agree with the concerns raised in Mr. Boehner’s letter and we await the speaker’s response since it was addressed to her,” Beard spokesman Jeff Ventura told The Hill.