Petrelis Files

Did Gay Obama Appointee Buy His
Job With Political Donations?

Much has been written from the left and right about Kevin Jennings, a controversial Democrat who happens to be gay and is director of the Office of Safe & Drug Free Schools for the Department of Education.

He was appointed to that job in early May, and while the right has used him as punching bag for homo-hatred, the left, including Gay Inc orgs, has come to his defense but his supporters have failed to disseminate facts about what he's accomplished in six months on the job.

What measurable goals has he met that are helping students, both gay and straight? Do we know if he's done anything on the matter of drugs and students, regardless of sexual orientation?

Before taking a job with the Barack Obama administration, Jennings was the longtime executive director of GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, and worked hard to make the org what it is today: an org with a $12.7 million budget in 2008. It maintains an office in New York and DC, and has a staff of forty persons.

As with GLAAD, GLSEN reports significant six-figure grants from some of the same gay foundations, according to their annual statement for 2008 on page 18. The list includes Arcus Foundation, Estate of Ric Weiland, the Haas Jr Fund, and the Gill Foundation. Smaller grants came from the David Bohnett Foundation and the Terry K. Watanabe Charitable Trust.

In his last year at GLSEN, Jennings earned a whopping $273,574 salary. During 2007, his pay was $255,448, and for 2006 he was compensated $175,000. Over those years, his total compensation came to $704,022.

That kind of salary allowed him to donate $26,300 to Democratic Party candidates and committees since 1998, according to FEC records. Included in that amount is the $6,500 he's given to Obama.

At the state level, in California he's donated $1,425 to Democrats, and $2,050 to No on Prop 8, for a total of $3,475 given in the Golden State. Back in Massachusetts, Jennings in 2002 gave $50 to GLAAD's new ED, Jarrett Barrios, in his bid for a state Senate seat. Add up the federal donations with the known state giving, and Jennings' contributions equal $29,825.

The Department of Education's bio page for Jennings says he has partner, who apparently lacks a last name, just like the couple's canines:

He and his partner, Jeff, are the proud "parents" of a golden retriever, Amber, and a Bernese mountain dog, Ben, and also have a "granddog" in Ben's son, Jackson, born in March 2009.

Why can't the department list the partner's full name? Jeffrey Davis, like his companion, gave money to Obama's presidential campaign. Davis donated $2,300 to the candidate. The Democrats must truly appreciate a gay male couple where both partners are raking in good bucks, and writing big checks to Democratic politicians.

Back to my main concern: What the hell has Jennings achieved in his federal job?