Former HR FEMA Employee To Plead Guilty to Conflict of Interest Charge

A former human resources officer at the Federal Emergency Management Agency is reportedly pleading guilty to conflict of interest charges filed by federal prosecutors on Jan. 2. as part of a larger case involving alleged government contract overcharging by the Gallup Organization.

As reported by NBC News investigative reporter Michael Isikoff, Timothy Cannon, director of FEMA’s Human Capital Division from 2007 to 2009, plans to plead guilty to one felony charge for “knowingly and willfully” participating in the award of contracts to Gallup while arranging to accept a $175,000-a-year job with the polling and research firm.

The attorney for Cannon, a former Army officer, said his client accepts responsibility for his actions. The complaint included email exchanges from 2007 and 2008 in which Gallup discussed what became a $6 million contract to poll FEMA employees on training issues as part of the agency’s BEST Workforce Initiative. The exchanges included references to Cannon interviewing for a job with Gallup. An offer was eventually made but then withdrawn over ethics concerns, NBC News reported.