(UPDATE) CBS Atlanta: APD’s Pennington eyed for DEA position
March 6, 2009 at 9:58 am by Thomas Wheatley in News
Richard Pennington
UPDATE: Pennington says he hasn’t been contacted for the position. The White House declines to comment. We clasp our hands and pray Atlanta’s favorite soul patch — he’s after the jump below — is not named the next DEA chief.
CBS Atlanta reports that Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington is being eyed to head the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Or maybe not?
A [APD] spokesperson says the department has not been informed of this information and they could not comment.
[CBS Atlanta reporter Joanna Massee] e-mailed Mayor Shirley Franklin to see if she was aware Pennington was being considered for a position at the DEA. A spokesperson for the mayor said, “While Mayor Franklin is unaware of the opportunity in your email she thinks, ‘Chief Pennington is a terrific and highly effective law enforcement official and who has served Atlanta with distinction.’”
Pennington sent an email to CBS Atlanta and it said, “I have no knowledge that I’m being considered for any federal law enforcement position. Furthermore, I have not been contacted by anyone in Washington.”
New Orleans media outlets are abuzz about the rumor. Pennington was the city’s former police superintendent before heading to Atlanta. Eager to put a stop to all the madness, CL contacted its fictitious high-level sources at the federal agency. Turns out there’s been some confusion.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Ty Pennington, your new chief drugbuster!
(Richard Pennington photo by Joeff Davis, Ty Pennington photo by Flickr member disneymike)
March 6th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Dear God, no.
March 6th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
my magic 8-ball says “doubtful” and i believe it.
obama’s vetting team would quickly find out how ineffective pennington has been in atl, and NOLA wasn’t exactly crimefree when he left.
March 6th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Yeah, Obama’s vetting team did a great job finding out how how ineffectual Mayor Franklin has been when Obama singled her out last week to congratulate her on her great work as Mayor of Atlanta.
Puh-leeese.
March 6th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Please, please, take the chief. Then find someone who can do something about the crises facing Atlanta.