Investigators Look for Favoritism in Justice Department Grants

At the time of the award, Cybele K. Daley was a deputy in the Justice Department office that oversees the Byrne grants, among other programs. She is married to James Pasco Jr., the executive director of the national Fraternal Order of Police. Daley subsequently left the government and now works as a Washington lobbyist.

In a phone interview, Daley said she lacked authority to make grant decisions at the Justice Department and instead devoted her time to congressional relations and the media. "I didn't even know the Ohio FOP had a grant," she said yesterday. For his part, Pasco said he had "absolutely no connection whatsoever" to the Ohio grant, which was arranged through the FOP's state chapter.

Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said the Ohio FOP approached Herraiz about the project, which was reviewed through normal channels. The bulk of the grants at issue, Carr said, went to well-known crime-fighting organizations that might have been forced to close or slash payrolls because of last year's unusual budget process.

Danielle Brian, the executive director of POGO, called for further investigation. "When what should be a simple, straightforward process becomes murky, we think it's time to look more closely," she said.

Research editor Alice Crites contributed to this report.