This story broke few days ago (but see the next post before you jump to any conclusions):

Department of Education officials violated conflict of interest rules when awarding grants to states under President Bush’s billion-dollar reading initiative, and steered contracts to favored textbook publishers, the department’s inspector general said yesterday.

In a searing report that concludes the first in a series of investigations into complaints of political favoritism in the reading initiative, known as Reading First, the report said officials improperly selected the members of review panels that awarded large grants to states, often failing to detect conflicts of interest. The money was used to buy reading textbooks and curriculum for public schools nationwide.

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September 23, 2006

Report Says Education Officials Violated Rules

By SAM DILLON, NYT

www.nytimes.com/2006/09/23/education/23education.html