A Blight at the Museum

A Blight at the Museum

Washington Post: The resignation of the head of the Smithsonian Latino Center was announced with “regret.” Pilar O’Leary, a Smithsonian official wrote to the staff, had done “outstanding work” and would be missed. Turns out O’Leary resigned after an investigation found she violated numerous ethics rules. Smithsonian officials need look no further than their own duplicity in hiding the reason for her departure to understand public misgivings about how this treasured institution is being run.

O’Leary, who denies any wrongdoing, resigned Feb. 8 after Smithsonian Inspector General A. Sprightley Ryan concluded she violated 14 ethical and conflict-of-interest policies. There were troubling allegations of lavish travel, expense account abuse and soliciting gifts. Particularly galling but not atypical of the bad judgment was her use of a limousine for a trip from the Smithsonian Castle all the way to ... the National Museum of Natural History (which is literally right across the Mall).

Part of a pattern

What’s really worrisome is that it seems to be part of an unseemly pattern of conduct that gets revealed only when Post reporters James Grimaldi and Jacqueline Trescott start asking questions. The inspector general released her report — albeit in heavily censored form — because the two reporters filed a Freedom of Information Act request.

Smithsonian officials argue that concern about the employees’ privacy rights dictated their actions. Even if one were to accept that thinking — and O’Leary’s big salary and high level of responsibility argue otherwise — how does that justify their praise for her? What kind of message does it send to others on the staff? And what does it say about the institution’s credibility when Acting Secretary Cristian Samper was assuring an Associated Press reporter in January (well after Ryan concluded her probe) that an internal review had found no other problems with employee travel?

Smithsonian officials have instituted needed reforms in the wake of a scandal over spending by former secretary Lawrence Small and questionable actions of three other top officials. They deserve credit for apparently making it clear that O’Leary needed to leave. But they missed an opportunity to make a statement about truly turning the page on the day when it was OK to pay more attention to your interests than the needs of the institution. It’s a note that incoming secretary G. Wayne Clough should sound from day one.