Tomlinson at the (Washington) Post

The Washington Post revealed today that Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governers, is being cited for abuses of his office. Okay, you ask, what does this have to do with horse racing?

It turns out that the esteemed Mr. Tomlinson may have been using "government resources to support his stable of thoroughbred racehorses," according to the Post. Alas, the summary of the investigation offered no details of how resources may have been improperly channeled to his horse racing operations. Perhaps there's a FEMA trailer or two sitting on Springbrook Farm with equine occupants.

In 1996 Tomlinson retired as editor of Reader's Digest to pursue his interests in horses, moving to a ranch near Middleburg, Virginia. Said Tomlinson in an interview, "it's a lot of fun to watch these horses and ponder how fast they might be able to run in competition". It will be equally a lot of fun to see how fast Tomlinson - currently attending a conference in Berlin - denies any and all charges against him.

UPDATE - 31 Aug. 2006

It's just too difficult to talk about Tomlinson's misdeeds without talking about the horse connection. Here's the New York Times today, in an editorial entitled "Homestretch for a Hack":

Mr. Tomlinson says he is proud of his work, assuring taxpayers that he spent far more time working the broadcast job from his horse farm than working the horses from his government post. It’s inexplicable why the White House maintains confidence in Mr. Tomlinson. The Senate should immediately show him the barn door as he comes up for reappointment at the State Department.

Technorati tag(s): horse racing, kenneth tomlinson