Mango Pleads Guilty to a Job-Related Felony – Still Has a NASA Job
Former NASA SES Employee Pleads Guilty To Conflict Of Interest Violation
“Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Edward J. Mango, (52, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with acting in his official capacity while having a financial conflict of interest, a felony. Mango faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.”
OPM Frequently Asked Questions
“A felony conviction does not automatically make one unsuitable for Federal employment. When making a suitability determination, an agency will evaluate the individual’s character traits and decide whether their employment or continued employment would or would not protect the integrity or promote the efficiency of the service. The factors that may form the basis for finding a person unsuitable can be found under 5 CFR 731.202(b) and include criminal or dishonest conduct.”
Keith’s note: NASA says that they are not going to make any decision on Ed Mango’s employment future until he is sentenced early next year. Back in the day if a government employee was found (or admitted to be) guilty of a job-related felony like this they’d have been shown the door regardless of what sentence they eventually got. Not any more, so it would seem. That said, there may be more shoes to drop – who knew what – and when did they know it, for example.
– Former NASA Commercial Crew Director Mango Pleads Guilty to Federal Felony, earlier post
That’s Ok…..Charlie will probably give him a big hug….LMAO
Discipline and direction within NASA have hit complete disconnect.
The individuals with the most power are the wrongdoers. Very Sad.
Oh and Charlie will cry too. That’s standard procedure.
Just another sign that NASA isn’t what it used to be…just a bunch of losers looking out for each other.
So you will indict all of the thousands of hard working NASA
employees as a “bunch of losers looking out for each other” for the actions of a few senior management?
Yea NASA817 was really being unfair – 99.99% of the people at NASA are the finest people on Earth.
You are right, I was being unfair. My statement was too broad and a bit cynical. I should have said that senior leadership seems to have lost its way and is more concerned with their careers than what’s good for the Agency. That is what makes senior management, not all but far too many, qualify in my book as “losers.” There are many good people working at NASA. Maybe losers is still too strong a term. Many in senior management are good people but have to bow to the political realities of their positions and end up making decisions that appear to the observer to be very poor.
So everyone at NASA is a”loser”? You could not be more wrong.
What are the facts? It seems to me that many people are expressing opinions and pronouncing sentence who couldn’t possibly know the details unless they were either in court the whole time and party to everything that went on, or were accomplices in Mango’s declared felony activities. He may be entirely guilty with no extenuating circumstances, but do all of those condemning him know this for certain?
I agree. I certainly don’t have all the facts. Management should advise on disciplinary matters but not pressure decision-makers.
However I have read that the rationale for the actual felony charge, the “conflict of interest” finding, was that the interference with the disciplinary process was motivated by the belief that the personal funds provided to the defendant to hire a lawyer were an “investment” and Mr. Mango would profit if this “investment” were returned, presumably with interest. This seems pretty far fetched to me. Nobody gives a friend money to hire a lawyer because they expect to make money on the deal.
“Nobody gives a friend money to hire a lawyer because they expect to make money on the deal.“
You make a very good point v4. I don’t know anything at all about this matter, or the events leading up to it, but something about it seems too casual, almost like they’re playing out a script. I guess my bottom line is that I just don’t like seeing this sort of thing in the public eye reflecting poorly on NASA. The 1,000’s of hard-working, dedicated NASA people don’t deserve the bad press that a handful of people seem to create each year. And in the back room “negotiations” that go on between NASA and Congress I wonder how often stories like this are brought up, to NASA’s continuing detriment. Oh well; at least nobody went screaming across country in diapers this time.
A script? What facts are we missing, folks? I’m no fan of the IG especially because they are usually incompetent. But the charges and plea bargain have been posted. How many innocent people plead guilty? Would you? He stepped down from his position? Does that say anything? Yeah, he is still at KSC and it bothers all of us but that is the NASA way…protect each other especially if you are upper management. It’s disgusting.
Does anyone really think the feds didn’t present Mango with overwhelming evidence and who knows what else to encourage him to plead guilty? This isn’t “Night Court”. He could have a trial. Seriously, who pleads guilty to something they didn’t do? The recent press says Mango stated in court, “Because I am guilty.”
Steve, I always appreciate your comments but your post restating nobody gives money to hire a lawyer because they expect to make money on the deal…is shortsighted at best. All of us who have taken ethics training know we cannot do anything to affect anything where we have money tied up. If his so called “friend” were fired for the five felonies she was convicted of (and not a soul at NASA believes she shouldn’t have been fired) last year do you think she could have paid him back with no income? It would seem to me Mango was protecting his loan. And that is the crime.
Several of us at NASA have to keep working and have been thinking about this a lot. Steve, you are right. There is too much bad press for NASA lately. A lot of us are committed to working the program and succeeding. But who of us gives money to a “colleague” to hire a law firm for criminal charges the so called colleague is facing? Would you? I hope for the sake of everyone affected the truth comes out and people understand exactly what was going on between Ed and his so called “friend”. It’s a black mark on the entire program.
“I hope for the sake of everyone affected the truth comes out and people understand exactly what was going on“
CB, that’s the part that troubles me. I don’t have much confidence that people outside of the immediate proceedings will ever know the story. We’re all used to seeing both sides of the story on TV and in the movies, but in the real world a “bargain” by its nature precludes making its details public. We have to take it on faith that the cops and courts are acting in the best interests of the people. I like to think that, again unlike TV, the authorities are almost all honest and perform in accordance with the trust we place in them.
“It’s a black mark on the entire program.“
I agree absolutely. And no matter what the final outcome may be, the simple fact that any of this made it into the public awareness is a blow to the people of NASA, and ammunition for those who would further cut its budget. NASA has enough unnecessary uphill battles to fight without situations like this.
Again, CB, I doubt you have ever faced criminal charges. With a passable lawyer you will get probation and community service. If you are a single parent, you’ll at least have a chance to support your kids and keep your family together. Without a lawyer you are almost certain to end up in jail and your kids may end up in the foster care system. Lives will be destroyed, and there isn’t any way back. Maybe if she had been required to go to AA by the judge when she got the first DUI it would have been different, but that’s fallen out of favor in FL.
I appreciate your rational and logical post. This story is new to me because frankly I steer clear of sensationalist journalism. This is not to say I am titling NASAWatch as sensationalism, but find these responses on this story to be a bit troubling.
It is not enough that it was exploded on the press or the fact that both individuals lives could be in peril; but the personal attacks and even agency attacks are a bit shocking. We are all human and surely the summary of two lives are not ending on this note.
Fact – He appeared to be trying to assist someone that needed help and he invoked a more emotional response in trying to save or assist his subordinate (who really isn’t his subordinate at all but a friend).
Ok, so what if there is more to this story? Should they be crucified, thrown to the gallows, fired and destroyed? Should the summary of their entire lives be based on a highly respected long time incredibly accomplished NASA Manager (who through his own dedication moved from devoted workerbee engineer to leading the entire STS-107 Columbia recovery efforts incredibly; comparable to Mayor Giuliani post 9-11) trying to save a NASA employee (Who really is an excellent employee, as in over and above, regardless of past events in her personal life) on missteps?
Perhaps the fact that they are not fired is because yes there is more to the story; the story of their lives and all those around them including other employees who do not even interface professionally.
This is just my opinion and I’m not saying wrong doing should be excused; but yes, there is much more to the story.
“Our sins are more easily remembered than our good deeds.”
– Fact.
I can remember working with a known sex offender who came back on multiple occasions. Nothing new….
Of course that happened it is SOP at the Agency.
Sweeping it under the carpet instead of solving the discipline
problems is how the Agency reacts to most wrongdoing.
I have stated previously, GRC recently had a top level SES
manager in a Mango type spot and just talked that individual
into a hush hush resignation and acceptance of a job with a
contractor. More than likely making more money than that
person made at NASA….LOL
When you have Administrators and Directors with no “guts”
than that is the type of response you get to discipline problems.
I personally know of 3 major cases of fraud at GRC in the last
year and a half that were just swept under the carpet and very
little if no corrective action was taken…..
And what did you do about it? If you had “knowledge” of 3 “major cases of fraud” (a very serious allegation) did you report it to the IG or to outside authorities? Anyone who has knowledge (not rumors) of anything this serious has a responsibility to report it until dealt with, not just wish “somebody else” didn’t sweep it under the rug. “Guts” can come from anywhere. If I really thought serious criminal activity was being financially rewarded by NASA, “LOL” would be not be my response.
They were investigated and the IG and top management wimped out in all 3 cases just as they have in the case of Mr Mango….that was my
point sweetheart….the inmates run the asylum!
So you might not want to fire back so quick next time….
Turkman, in defense of Rebbecca, I initially had the same thought of ‘if you knew, why didn’t you say something.’ If you had said, ‘I personally knew of, and reported, 3 major cases of fraud…’, there would not have been that negative reaction to your post. Most of us not working in government (I used to, not anymore) are pretty fed-up with fraud waste and abuse and covering it up. To us, not reporting it is the same as covering up. Kudos to you for speaking up at the time.
Not sure if Turkman spoke up in those cases, or was interviewed as part of the investigations as it wasn’t mentioned. Did you pass on your knowledge, Turkman?
What is interesting here is how a discussion about an employee at KSC morphs into a story about GRC. First, Mr. Mango made a mistake, he violated the ethics regulations that he was bound to uphold. This violation of the regulations has cost him and his family dearly, losing his job would be punishment that is unjust. But Mr. Mango is not the first and will not be the last person that violates the ethics regulations, in fact his boss (Mr. Bolden) was investigated and found to have violated ethics regulations himself. Given that he is the Administrator it should be asked why he did not get relieved of his duty. I really fail to understand why GRC was drawn into this, the IG at GRC is active, and when they find something they are as aggressive as any IG office within the Agency. I am sure that if something was going on at GRC and the Center Director were aware he would not hesitate to take action. That said, there is a history of replacing Center Director’s at GRC that take action. Maybe the real question is why the guy at the top is not being held accountable…oh I guess I answered my own question, the guy at the top is not being held accountable either
You question why GRC was brought into the discussion at the
same time you drag Bolden into the very same discussion….
Now that makes sense….
All NASA Centers should be in the discussion because other similar situations should relate to Mr Mangos as you highlighted
yourself in the case of Administrator Huggy Bear.
Anyone who wonders why someone who has not done what he is accused of would plead guilty has never been the defendant in a serious criminal proceeding. It’s not CSI. Events spin out of control in a hurry in the justice system. The guilty may be released, the innocent may spend years in jail. The logic with which we approach problems in engineering is completely ignored. If a good attorney suggests you take a plea that avoids jail time when a guilty verdict could leave you in prison, believe me, you _never_ say “I’m innocent so i should go to trial and prove it.”
From what I read, Mango was simply trying to help a co-worker keep her job. I’m not aware of any evidence that he used intimidation to accomplish this. He encouraged her supervisor to give her another chance, and he lent her personal funds so she could hire a lawyer. In this jurisdiction the public defenders are simply unable to provide any meaningful defense, and she would have ended up in jail for a long time and unable to take care of her children. And yes, it costs a lot of money to hire a lawyer who will even give you a chance. There’s no evidence I can see that he was attempting to personally profit by this, which is what he was accused of. I just think that’s ridiculous.