Joe Allbaugh on why he made Michael Brown Deputy Director of FEMA. From today's Oklahoman ...

Allbaugh said Brown was his first hire after being tabbed to head the emergency agency.

"I hired him solely on his ability as a strong ethics attorney," he said.

Later that year, Brown played a major role in the agency's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Allbaugh said Brown headed up operations in the Washington office while he was in New York.

The deputy director's slot was vacant during that time.

"I decided he was the right person to become the deputy of the agency," Allbaugh said. "He was the logical person."

A strong ethics attorney who'd just gotten canned from his last job because of ethical <$NoAd$> improprieties.