EPA e-mail to workers: Don't answer inspector's questions

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Environmental Protection Agency advised employees last month not to answer questions from journalists, the Government Accountability Office or the agency's inspector general, according to an EPA e-mail made public Monday.

"Please do not respond to questions or make any statements," the June 16 e-mail said, advising staff to direct questioners to senior staff members cleared to answer questions from outside the agency. Robbi Farrell, chief of staff of the EPA's compliance assurance division, sent the e-mail to 11 managers in the department.

The e-mail was posted on a Web site of the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. The group, an alliance of state and federal environmental professionals, labeled the communication a "gag order."

"The order reinforces a growing bunker mentality within an EPA that is the subject of a growing number of probes into political interference with agency operations," the group said.





Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/28/epa.gag.order/index.html

[jimshoes]

1. That just has to be an illegal order

They should disobey it just on principle,... if they had any principles that is.

[Muttocracy]

2. PEER is a great group - link to their site:

http://www.peer.org/

Lots of news releases about this.

[kestrel91316]

3. I'm calling OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE right there.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. kick to combine

[superconnected]

5. EPA tells staff don't talk to investigators,

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Environmental Protection Agency is telling its pollution enforcement officials not to talk with congressional investigators, reporters and even the agency's own inspector general, according to an internal e-mail provided to The Associated Press.

The June 16 message instructs 11 managers in the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, the branch of the agency charged with making sure environmental laws are followed, to remind their staff members to keep quiet.

"Sen. Barbara Boxer, the California Democrat who heads the Senate environment committee, said Monday the administrator had turned "the EPA into a secretive, dangerous ally of polluters, instead of a leader in the effort to protect the health and safety of the American people."

"On Monday, Leahy said, "I hope this e-mail is not akin to the wide range of tactics this administration has used to thwart accountability."

Read more: http://www.komonews.com/news/national/26031834.html

[pinniped]

6. Seems like they took the * blood oath,

,