By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-09-28 01:06:05
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
在开始其作为联邦监察长的漫长职业生涯之前，哈佛大学毕业生格伦·法恩曾在 1979 年 NBA 选秀中被马刺队在第十轮选中。
2016 年至 2020 年，格伦·法恩(Glenn Fine)担任国防部代理监察长期间，他找到了一种打破僵局的好方法。
“我见过很多高级将领和海军上将，他们对我的背景——哈佛大学、罗德学者、哈佛法学院、美国助理检察官——并不怎么感兴趣或印象深刻，”他说。“但当他们在我的简历上看到我被 NBA 的圣安东尼奥马刺队选中时，他们第一个想谈的就是这件事。”
这位前哈佛控球后卫曾在 1979 年 NBA 选秀中被马刺队在第十轮选中，他在最近出版的著作《监管者：监察长与为诚实和负责任的政府而战》中讲述了他与这支银黑军团的渊源。
“他们对此表示怀疑，因为我只有 5 英尺 9 英寸高，”现年 68 岁的法恩在谈到国防部的军官时说。“他们会问，‘你真的被马刺队选中了吗？’我会回答，‘是的，我被选中了。我身高 5 英尺 9 英寸，但在开始这份工作之前，我可是有 6 英尺 9 英寸高。’”
《监管者》由弗吉尼亚大学出版社出版，并由前国防部长吉姆·马蒂斯作序。书中详细介绍了法恩在 2000 年至 2011 年期间担任司法部和国防部监察长的经历，以及他坚信监察长是“帮助保护我们民主制度的重要监管者”。
“监察长是我们政府中至关重要的制衡力量，”法恩说。“他们让政府更加诚实、更加负责、更加高效。他们不是政府中最受欢迎的人。他们经常因为自己的工作而受到批评和抨击，但这项工作至关重要。公民依靠他们来使政府保持诚实，并让他们知道自己的税款是如何被使用的。”
法恩是费城人，曾在比尔·克林顿、乔治·W·布什、贝拉克·奥巴马和唐纳德·特朗普政府任职。
“监察长被称为一些你从未听说过的最重要的公职人员，因此我想写这本书，让更多人了解他们的重要作用，并鼓励公民和立法者支持、保护和扩大他们的作用，”法恩说。
2020 年春季，特朗普采取了前所未有的举措，解雇或撤换了五名监察长，法恩就是其中之一，此举招致了两党议员的批评。特朗普对几名监察长在其总统任期内的监督行动感到不满。
法恩被任命领导疫情应对问责委员会后，特朗普解除了他的职务，该委员会负责监督国会通过的 2 万亿美元新冠病毒救济资金的使用情况。新冠病毒恢复法案要求由一个现有的监察长委员会挑选一名监察长来监督疫情应对工作。该委员会选择了法恩。
2020 年 5 月，法恩从五角大楼辞职。
“这很难，”他说。“我热爱那份工作（国防部监管机构）。我已经在那里工作了四年半，我觉得我们正在产生影响。但当一扇门关闭时，另一扇门就会打开，我现在很高兴成为布鲁金斯学会的研究员和乔治敦法学院的兼职教授。我还曾在斯坦福法学院任教，并将再次在那里任教。我还得到了写这本书的机会。”
最近，法恩在洛杉矶通过电话接受了《圣安东尼奥快报》的采访，当时他正开始在美国各地巡回宣传他的新书。以下采访内容为便于读者理解，在长度和清晰度上进行了编辑：
当你得知自己被马刺队选中时，是什么感觉？
“那年秋天我要去牛津大学攻读罗德奖学金，所以夏天我在波士顿工作。那天我在地铁上看到了《波士顿环球报》体育版的一篇文章，上面说魔术师约翰逊是状元秀。我开始逐行阅读所有被选中球员的名单——当时有 10 轮——所以花了好一会儿才看到最底部，我在那里看到一行小字——格伦·法恩，哈佛，圣安东尼奥马刺。我的名字拼写错了，但我简直不敢相信。我太兴奋了，以至于坐过了站。到了公司后，我给每个人都看了这篇文章。这真是太激动人心了。”
其他人也和你一样兴奋吗？
“我的一些朋友给我打了电话。我们都在猜测为什么圣安东尼奥马刺队会选中我，其中一个人说，‘我知道为什么。他们已经有乔治·格文(George Gervin)了，他的绰号是‘冰人’。他们选中你是为了让你做‘冰块’。”
你决定去牛津，而不是参加训练营。事实证明这是一个很棒的决定，但你内心深处是否想去圣安东尼奥？
“有一点。赛季结束后，我不再打篮球了，因为我认为我的篮球生涯已经结束了，所以我真的不在状态。我确实想过，‘能和乔治·格文以及其他 NBA 球星在同一个球场上打球，那该多好啊？’但我还要去牛津，所以我放弃了。现在，我有点后悔当时没有去。我还后悔没有在试训时得到一件真正的圣安东尼奥马刺队球衣。也许格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)会注意到或读到这篇文章，然后给我寄一件真正的圣安东尼奥马刺队球衣，这样我的职业生涯就圆满了。”
1978 年 12 月 16 日是你大学生涯中最重要的一天，也许也是你人生中最重要的一天之一。那天发生了什么？
“这可能是我开始与腐败作斗争的动力，因为我参加了一场被操纵的比赛。那天我要在巴尔的摩参加罗德奖学金的面试，而我们队要在波士顿花园球馆迎战波士顿学院队。我左右为难。我想争取罗德奖学金，但我是哈佛校队的联合队长，我想在波士顿打球。一位哈佛校友想出了一个办法。他安排了一架私人飞机，在面试结束后、评选结果出来之前，把我从巴尔的摩接到洛根机场，然后一辆州警车把我迅速送到比赛现场。那场比赛我打出了我有史以来最好的一场比赛，得到 19 分、14 次助攻和 8 次抢断，很多抢断，可能比我以前所有的抢断加起来都多。比赛自始至终都很胶着。波士顿学院队被看好能赢 12 分，但他们在最后几分钟才拉开比分，最终只以 86-83 获胜。比赛结束后，我穿着队服来到波士顿花园球馆的广场，给罗德委员会打电话，他们说，‘恭喜你，法恩先生，你获得了罗德奖学金。’多么美好的夜晚啊。我打出了有史以来最好的一场比赛，还获得了罗德奖学金。但那场比赛是被操纵的。黑帮分子亨利·希尔(Henry Hill)和吉米·伯克(Jimmy Burke)——他们在电影《好家伙》中声名大噪——贿赂了波士顿学院队，让他们赢球但分差不超过 12 分，这样他们就可以赌哈佛队赢。”
你最自豪的是你担任监察长期间的哪个阶段？
“我为我们在 9·11 袭击事件后所做的工作感到自豪，那是我们历史上一个非常动荡的时期。我们撰写了一份关于发现和阻止袭击的机会的重要报告，但也撰写了一份关于袭击事件后虐待被拘留者的报告。我受到了很多人的批评，他们说，‘谁在乎呢？我们刚刚遭到袭击，’我们回答说，首先，我们有义务这样做，其次，对于我们的政府来说，即使在危机时期，也必须维护我们的价值观，遵守法治。我拒绝接受这样的论点，即我们要么有效打击恐怖主义，要么促进和保护公民权利和公民自由。我认为我们两者都可以做到。最终，很多人都改变了看法，认识到并支持了这种信念，包括国会山的民主党人和共和党人。”
你认为如果特朗普再次当选，他会重新努力取消对政府的独立监督吗？
“我感到担忧。特朗普总统已经明确表示，他不是监察长的狂热粉丝。关于疫情应对问责委员会，他说我们不需要监督，‘我会进行监督’。所以，是的，如果他再次当选，我担心监察长们将面临挑战。但我希望并期待监察长们，无论他们是谁，都能勇敢面对挑战，继续发挥他们的重要作用，即使这意味着他们的工作面临风险。”
你还关注马刺队吗？
“我最喜欢的球队仍然是圣安东尼奥马刺队。为什么？他们是一支伟大的球队，赢得了很多总冠军，而且他们做事的方式也很正确。他们的比赛方式是正确的，我很欣赏格雷格·波波维奇。他是一位伟大的教练，也是一位了不起的人，他不怕说出自己的想法，我尊重他在军队中的公共服务。而且他们选中了我，所以，我当然要支持他们。”
点击查看原文：Former Spurs pick Glenn Fine defends government watchdogs in new book
Former Spurs pick Glenn Fine defends government watchdogs in new book
Before beginning his long career as a federal inspector general, Harvard graduate Glenn Fine was a 10th round draft pick by the Spurs in 1979.
Glenn Fine possessed a go-to icebreaker while serving as acting inspector general of the Department of Defense from 2016 to 2020.
“I met a lot of top generals and admirals, and they really weren’t that interested or impressed by my background, Harvard College, Rhodes Scholar, Harvard Law School, assistant United States attorney,” he said. “But when they saw on my resume I was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA, that’s the first thing they wanted to talk about.”
A long-shot 10th round pick by the Spurs in 1979, the former Harvard point guard recounts his ties to the Silver & Black in his recently published book “Watchdogs: Inspectors General and the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government.”
“They were very skeptical because I’m 5-foot, 9-inches tall,” Fine, 68, said of the military brass at DOD. “They would ask, ‘Were you really drafted by the Spurs?’ And I would respond, 'Yes, I was. I am 5-9, but before I started this job, I was 6-foot, 9-inches tall.”
Published by University of Virginia Press, with a forward by former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, “Watchdogs” details Fine’s stints as inspector general of the Department of Justice from 2000 to 2011 and the DOD and his belief that inspectors general are “essential watchdogs who help protect our democracy.”
“Inspectors generals are a critical check and balance in our government,” Fine said. “They make government more honest, more accountable, more efficient. They are not the most popular people in government. They are often criticized and pilloried for the work they do, but it is essential work. Citizens rely on them to make government honest and to let them know how their tax dollars are being spent.”
A native of Philadelphia, Fine served during the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
“Inspectors general have been called some of the most important public servants you have never heard of, so I wanted to write this book to expose more people to their essential role and also to encourage both citizens and lawmakers to support, protect and extend their role,” Fine said.
In April 2020, Fine was one of five inspectors general either fired or sidelined by Trump that spring in an unprecedented move that drew bipartisan criticism from lawmakers. Trump bristled at the oversight actions of several inspectors general during his presidency.
Trump removed Fine after he had been appointed to lead the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which oversaw spending of $2 trillion in coronavirus relief funds passed by Congress. The coronavirus recovery law required that an existing IG be selected by a council of inspectors general to oversee the pandemic response. The council had picked Fine.
In May 2020, Fine resigned at the Pentagon.
“It was hard,” he said. “I loved that job (DOD watchdog). I had been in it for four and a half years and I felt we were having an impact. But when one door closes, another opens, and I am now happy as a fellow at the Brookings Institution and an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law School. I also have taught and will teach again at Stanford Law School. And I got an opportunity to write this book.”
Fine spoke with the San Antonio Express-News by phone recently from Los Angeles, where he was starting the West Coast swing of a national tour to promote his book. This interview has been edited for length and clarity:
What was it like when you learned the Spurs had drafted you?
“I was working in Boston for the summer before I was going to go to Oxford on my Rhodes Scholarship in the fall, so I was on the subway going to work when I saw an article in the Boston Globe sports section that said Magic Johnson was the first pick. I started reading down the list of all the draftees - it was 10 rounds back then - so it took a while to get to the bottom, where I saw in tiny print - Glen Fine, Harvard, San Antonio Spurs. My first name was misspelled, but I couldn’t believe it. I was so excited, I missed my subway stop. After I got to work, I showed everybody. It was quite a thrill.”
Did others share in your excitement?
“A few of my friends called me. They we were speculating about why the San Antonio Spurs drafted me, and one of them said, ‘I know why. They already have George Gervin, whose nickname is the Iceman. They drafted you so they could also have the ice cube.'”
You decided to go to Oxford rather than attend training camp. It turned out to be a great decision but was there a part of you that wanted to go to San Antonio?
“A little bit. I had stopped playing basketball when the season ended because I thought my career was over, so I really wasn’t in basketball form. I did think, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful to play on the same court as George Gervin and other NBA stars?’ But I was going to Oxford, so I decided against it. Now, maybe there is a little bit of regret that I didn’t do it. I also regret that I didn’t get an authentic San Antonio Spurs jersey as part of the tryout. Maybe Gregg Popovich will notice or read this article and could maybe send me an authentic San Antonio Spurs jersey, and then my career would be complete.”
One of the biggest days of your college career, and maybe your life, was Dec. 16, 1978. What happened that day?
“It might have been the impetus for me to begin my career fighting corruption because I played in a corrupt game. The day of my Rhodes Scholarship interview, which was in Baltimore, we were playing against Boston College at the Boston Garden. I was torn. I wanted to compete for the Rhodes Scholarship, but I was co-captain of the Harvard team and wanted to play in Boston. A Harvard alum had a solution. He sent a private plane to pick me up in Baltimore after the interview but before the selection, flew me up to Logan Airport and a state police car whisked me to the game. I had the best game I ever played with 19 points, 14 assists and eight steals, which is a lot of steals, probably more than I ever had. It was a close game all the way. Boston College was favored by 12, but they won by only 86-83 after pulling ahead in the last minutes. After the game, I went to the concourse of the Boston Garden in my uniform and I called to the Rhodes Committee and they said, ‘Congratulations, Mr. Fine, you are a Rhodes scholar.’ What a night. Best game I ever had and a Rhodes scholarship. But that game was fixed. The mobsters Henry Hill and Jimmy Burke, who were made famous by the move ‘Goodfellas’ had bribed Boston College to win by less than 12, so they could bet on Harvard.”
What period of your career as an inspector general are you most proud of?
“I am proud of the work we did after the 9-11 attacks, a very tumultuous time in our history. We did a very important report about opportunities to detect and deter the attacks, but we also did a report about mistreatment of detainees after the attacks. I was criticized by many who said, ‘Who cares about that? We were just attacked,’ and we responded that, first, we are required to do this, but, second, it is important for our government to uphold our values and to follow the rule of law even in times of crisis. I rejected the argument that we could be either effective at fighting terrorism or promoting and protecting civil rights and civil liberties. I believed we could do both. Eventually many people came around to that and realized and supported that belief, including Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.”
Do you believe if Trump is elected, he will renew efforts to remove independent oversight of the government?
“I am concerned. President Trump has made clear he is not a big fan of inspectors general. With regard to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, he said we didn’t need the oversight, that, ‘I will be the oversight.’ So, yes, if he is elected, I am concerned inspectors general will be challenged. But I hope and expect inspectors general, whoever they are, will stand up to the challenge and continue to play the important role they do even if it does mean their jobs are at risk”
Do you follow the Spurs?
“My favorite team is still the San Antonio Spurs. Why? They are a great organization and have won many championships, but they also do things the right way. They play the right way and I admire Gregg Popovich. He is a terrific coach but also a terrific person who is not afraid to speak his mind, and I respect his public service in the military. And they drafted me, so, of course, I have to root for them.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News