(3 of 3)
Rita Lavelle also knows what it is to put one's life on hold. The former head of the EPA's toxic-waste clean-up program, she served three months in prison for lying to Congress and is now house-sitting in San Diego "because I can't afford any rent." Says she: "I've applied for jobs that are far beneath me. It's hell being branded a felon. My career is in ruins. I'm financially devastated without any ability to get back on my feet. People shun me." She was hired earlier this year as a consultant to a Southern California company, but when executives of the firm found out, they sent security to remove her. "I have to justify being Rita Lavelle to people three or four times a week."
& Like most of those who have left office, Lavelle feels maligned -- in fact, she has enlisted congressional support and hopes for a new trial to restore her reputation. Many others consider themselves victims. Virtually all blame politics, selective enforcement and Washington backstabbing for their troubles. Hardly any feel remorse. "I've never profited or attempted to profit from any of this. I've had nothing but suffering because of my Government service," Lavelle says. Indeed, one of the sad commentaries on the Reagan era is that so many of those tainted by ethical improprieties still seem unable to divine what was wrong with their concept of government service.