Petrelis Files

DHS Audit Slams Ports Grants; GOP Career Omitted from Bio

The acting executive director of the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness within the Department of Homeland Security, Matt A. Mayer, may have something in common with departed FEMA Michael Brown: resume padding.

Mayer heads the terrorism preparedness strategies for DHS and gets to dole out loads of moolah and is the primary contact for state and local officials in the federal bureaucracy.

His puffed up resume is posted at DHS and is of prime interest to me for what is not mentioned: Matt A. Mayer has a long involvement with the Colorado GOP and their redistricting efforts.

But before we get into his past, let's examine what the most recent, Oct. 2004 - March 2005, semi-annual DHS Inspector General's report to Congress had to say about Mayer's port security grant program:

"[...] The program has awarded approximately $560 million for over 1200 programs. We reported that the program's eligibility criteria are directed broadly at national critical seaports and the current design of the program compromises the program's ability to direct resources toward the nation's highest priorities [...]

"In addition, grant award decisions were made with the intent of expending all available funding, and spreading funds to as many applicants as possible, leading the agency to fund 258 low-scoring projects at a cost of $67 million.

"Moreover, the program lacks DHS criteria for granting awards to the private sector. Private entities received substantial funding, some of which went to projects that reviewers scored below average or worse, during the evaluation process.

"Furthermore, after three rounds of grants, all grant recipients had expended only $106.9 million, or 21% of the total program awards as of September 30, 2004." (Source: DHS OIG, page 27.)

So the program's a mess and 79% of the money for securing our seaports is unspent. That's comforting to know. Not!

Here are some results after Googling for more background on Mayer:

Rocky Mountain News
For Redistricting, They've All Hired Mouthpieces
By Peter Blake
October 27, 2001

Can 100 lawyers, more or less, succeed where 100 legislators failed?

The drawing of Colorado's seven new congressional districts depends on this dubious hypothesis.

The General Assembly went home recently after deadlocking on their constitutional duty to do the job.

So now the map will be probably be drawn by Denver District Judge John W. Coughlin, in whose court state Democrats filed a lawsuit last spring in anticipation of the legislative fiasco. The Republicans are hoping against hope that a federal court, where they filed suit later, will claim superior jurisdiction.

[...] Secretary of State Donetta Davidson spurned help from the attorney general's office in favor of hiring private attorneys Jim Kilroy and Matt Mayer.

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June 4, 2005

The Hill

Colorado Republican Party officials are coalescing around state Higher Education Commission Chairman Rick O’Donnell in his quest to succeed Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-Colo.).

Matt Mayer, O’Donnell’s only known campaign aide, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

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July 30, 2005
The Denver Post

Defending the homeland

Don't look for Matt Mayer to come back and run Republican Rick O'Donnell's campaign for congress. Mayer, O'Donnell's deputy when he was director of Colorado's Department of Regulatory Agencies, helped run his 2002 bid but last week was appointed counselor to the deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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Federal Election Commission records reveal all of Mayer's political has been to GOP candidates, including Bush's reelection campaign.

My gut tells me that Mayer was probably also raising funds for the Bush/Cheney political war chest last year.

These listings come from www.fec.gov and may paint a fuller picture of Mayer, one that is a portrait of a loyal Bush and GOP crony.

- MAYER, MATT
HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO 80129
SELF-EMPLOYED/CONSULTANT

O'DONNELL, RICK
03/06/2002
$442.00

- MAYER, MATT
ARLINGTON, VA 22203
DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

THUNE, JOHN
04/22/2004
$250.00

- MAYER, MATT
ARLINGTON, VA 22203
US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

COORS, PETER
06/29/2004
$250.00

- MAYER, MATT A
ARLINGTON, VA 22203
U.S. DEP. OF HOMELAND SECURITY/CH

BUSH, GEORGE W
08/27/2004
$500.00

- MAYER, MATT
ARLINGTON, VA 22207
U.S. DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY/AC

O'DONNELL, RICK
06/29/2005
$250.00