Conservative Member of Civil Rights Panel Quits, Says It Should Be Closed

The longest-serving member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights abruptly resigned yesterday, saying that the agency spends money irresponsibly in pursuit of partisan agendas -- liberal and conservative -- and should be shut down. Russell G. Redenbaugh, a conservative unaffiliated with either major party, said he decided to end his 15-year tenure on the commission because his colleagues have resisted calls for more than a decade to appoint an independent agent to manage the commission's funds and an independent auditor to review its operations. The commission has not had a financial audit in 12 years; board and staff members believe it is deeply in the red. The commission will likely be forced to reduce staff and close offices, Redenbaugh said. A House subcommittee is preparing to review the commission's finances at a hearing Thursday. Redenbaugh's resignation came only months after the commission moved from a liberal to a conservative majority, and followed years of conflict under the leadership of Mary Frances Berry. Berry and liberal co-chairman Cruz Reynoso were ousted in December by President Bush, who appointed conservative Republican Gerald A. Reynolds to succeed Berry. The commission is poised to press what some civil rights advocates, some academics and the two remaining liberal board members call a Republican agenda. On Friday, the board is scheduled to consider launching studies on whether Social Security shortchanges African Americans and whether minorities and women deserve advantages in the awarding of federal contracts. Both issues are part of Bush's agenda. [more]