Education Funding

Ed. Dept. Official Grilled Over Tax, Conflict of Interest Allegations

By The Associated Press — February 09, 2016 2 min read
Danny Harris, the chief information officer for the U.S. Department of Education, testifies on Capitol Hill over an Inspector General’s report that looked into his personal business and tax issues.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Lawmakers on the House Government and Oversight Committee are probing tax and conflict of interest allegations against the U.S. Department of Education’s chief information officer—and that could create headaches for acting U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr., who was called to testify in Congress on the issue last week.

Danny Harris, the department’s CIO, ran a side business installing home theaters and detailing cars, according to the Associated Press. He didn’t report about $10,000 in income from that business in public disclosure forms, or on his taxes. And he made a $4,000 loan to one of his subordinates and allegedly helped a relative get a job at the department, according to the Education Department’s Inspector General.

Harris was asked about those issues by lawmakers on the House oversight committee Feb. 2, and after the hearing concluded, he collapsed and was taken to the hospital for a time.

Cybersecurity Team

Harris is a part of a team that oversees cybersecurity at the department, an issue that the House oversight panel looked into in November. The committee found that while the department holds 139 million Social Security numbers, it is “vulnerable to security threats,” according to an Inspector General’s report. The department’s system also failed a key part of a test performed as part of an audit.

Harris—who is a career civil servant, not an Obama administration appointee—was investigated for the tax issues by the IG a few years ago, he told the committee, according to prepared testimony.

In written testimony, Harris also said he didn’t help a relative get a job at the department, just inquired to see if there were positions available. He also said he didn’t use his influence to get a friend a contracting position. And he’s refiled his tax forms.

Harris has been counseled by the department about his actions, but isn’t expected to receive further punishment.

King said in prepared testimony that Harris’ actions reflect “a serious lack of judgment.” And even though King’s predecessors had already taken action, King also talked to Harris about these “serious matters.” Harris, he said, “expressed profound remorse” for his actions.

Committee Pushback

But that didn’t fly with some lawmakers.

“It’s your leadership that’s on the line. Is it appropriate to have outside income and not report it?” Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, the chairman of the committee, asked King.

And at least one Democrat wasn’t satisfied with King’s answers.

“Where’s the stick as opposed to just the pat? How do people know that they can’t be involved in this behavior?” asked Democrat Stacey Plaskett, the delegate from the Virgin Islands. “That’s just a way to keep your job.”

In response, King noted, “after the counseling, the activities ended” and that the department’s general counsel’s office had found no violation of law, regulation, or policy. He also said the department has “made tremendous progress” in the area of cybersecurity.

King is also facing challenges in other corners of Congress—Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., is unhappy that he hasn’t been officially confirmed. King has said it’s up to the president to decide whether to submit his nomination to the U.S. Senate. And he has noted that an acting secretary has all the same powers as one that’s been confirmed.

Assistant Editor Alyson Klein contributed to this article.

A version of this article appeared in the February 10, 2016 edition of Education Week as Ed. Dept. CIO Grilled By Oversight Panel

Events

Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Privacy & Security Webinar
Navigating Cybersecurity: Securing District Documents and Data
Learn how K-12 districts are addressing the challenges of maintaining a secure tech environment, managing documents and data, automating critical processes, and doing it all with limited resources.
Content provided by Softdocs

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding How States Are Rethinking Where School Funding Should Go
There's constant debate over the best way to allocate state money to schools. Here are some ways states are reworking their school funding.
7 min read
Conceptual illustration of tiny people is planning the personal budget, accounting, analysis.
Muhamad Chabibalwi/iStock/Getty
Education Funding A Court Ordered Billions for Education. Why Schools Might Not Get It Now
The North Carolina Supreme Court is considering arguments for overturning a statewide order for more school funding.
6 min read
A blue maze with a money bag at the end of the maze.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding Schools Want More Time to Spend COVID-19 Aid for Homeless Students
Senators want to give districts more time to spend COVID relief funds for students experiencing homelessness.
4 min read
New canvas school bags hanging on the backs of empty classroom student chairs in a large modern classroom
iStock/Getty Images
Education Funding ESSER Isn't the Only School Funding Relief That's Disappearing Soon
Federal relief aid, policies to prevent schools from losing enrollment-based funding, and support for vulnerable families are expiring soon.
10 min read
Vector illustration of a businessman's hand holding a slowly vanishing dollar sign.
iStock/Getty