In his letter, Eisen said that in the May 20 meeting, "Mr. Walpin was confused, disoriented, unable to answer questions and exhibited other behavior that led the Board to question his capacity to serve." Eisen complained that Walpin had worked from his home in New York instead of commuting to Washington. He also cited Walpin's "lack of candor" in providing information to decision-makers, meaning the U.S. attorney.

Though the White House dismissed Walpin without seeking his side of the story, there is another side, and it is compelling. The Washington Examiner's Byron York interviewed Walpin, who responded to the allegations against him.

Walpin denied that he was confused or that his presentation was disorganized, though he admitted he was less organized after being asked to leave the room for a while and returning to find his papers shuffled and out of order. GOP investigators said Walpin is entirely sharp, focused, collected and coherent, an assessment that Byron York corroborated based on his two-hour interview.

Walpin said his telecommuting from New York had been expressly approved by the chairman, vice chairman and corporation's board, and he described the charge that he lacked candor with the U.S. attorney as "a total lie."

Even more suspicious was counsel Eisen's stonewalling behavior in the meeting with Sen. Grassley's staff, who said he refused to answer several direct questions about the representations in his letter, prompting Grassley to send a follow-up letter to the White House for more information.

What possible justification can there be for the White House to lack candor (to borrow a phrase) in this matter? Why does it view itself as an adversary to the inspector general who investigated the misuse of taxpayer funds?

In view of this stonewalling, it's hard to assume the administration's good faith. It is abundantly clear the White House had a personal interest in protecting Johnson, violated the law in firing Walpin, did not seek his side of the story or show any interest in his response to the allegations, didn't interview him to assess his alleged confusion, and was overtly evasive with Sen. Grassley as to its reasons for termination.

Instead of showing neutrality or erring on the side of the watchdog of government funds, the administration punished the watchdog and his charge, the U.S. taxpayers, and, in the process, exhibited those negative qualities -- cronyism, corruption, waste, recklessness and a lack of transparency -- it forever decries.