Statement On Charity Commission Report

Statement

STATEMENT ON CHARITY COMMISSION REPORT

"I applaud the Charity Commission for its diligence in determining that significant funding for George Galloway's political operation - the Mariam Appeal - came from "improper sources" - namely, Oil-for-Food deals. Relying largely on transactions uncovered by my Subcommittee's investigation - which clearly documented that Oil-for-Food funds from Saddam Hussein went directly through Fawaz Zureikat, and then to the Mariam Appeal and to Galloway's wife - the Commission found that Galloway and the other trustees of the organization "did not properly discharge their duty of care" and, despite Galloway's numerous denials, that he "may have known" about the connection between his organization and the Oil-for-Food Program. I understand that other authorities in the U.K. are still pursuing Mr. Galloway's misconduct and I look forward to their findings.

We should not forget that Mr. Galloway's misconduct resulted in many ways from the failures of the U.N. to manage the Oil-for-Food Program properly. Those widespread failures, along with a host of other management and oversight problems throughout the U.N. system, should spur major reforms in that organization. We must seize this opportunity to improve the U.N.'s operations and effect real, substantive reforms."

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