US Congressman asks Clinton to demote Rajiv Shah

A powerful Republican Congressman asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to demote USAID administrator Rajiv Shah, the co-coordinator of the US Government relief operations in Haiti, for not having enough African-American on his staff.

A powerful Republican Congressman on Friday asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to demote USAID administrator Rajiv Shah, the co-coordinator of the US Government relief operations in Haiti, for not having enough African-American on his staff.

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In a letter Congressman John Cornyers – Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee – alleged that Shah does not have enough minority staff.

Cornyers wrote this letter to Clinton after Shah – the highest ranking Indian American in any presidential administration - appeared before the 42 member Congressional committee without any African American staffers in tow.

"I was alarmed and chagrined to learn that none of the approximately dozen staff he brought with him were African American. This is so serious an error in judgement that it warrants his immediate demotion to a subordinate position at AID," Cornyers said.

"It is well known that there has long been an under-representation of minorities in key positions within the State Department," he wrote.

Shah has been praised by the administration including Clinton and President Barack Obama on his effective handling of the Haiti relief operations.