EPA Blocking Independent Investigations

Anyone notice a pattern yet?

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5275917

WASHINGTON(AP) — A unit run by President Barack Obama's political staff inside the Environmental Protection Agency operates illegally asa "rogue law enforcement agency" that hasblocked independent investigations by the EPA'sinspector general for years, a top investigator told Congress.

Theassistant EPA inspector general for investigations, Patrick Sullivan, wasexpected to testify Wednesday beforea House oversight committee about the activitiesof the EPA'slittle-knownOffice of Homeland Security.The office of about 10 employeesisoverseen by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy'soffice, and the inspector general'soffice isaccusing it of impedingits independent investigations into employee misconduct, computer security and external threats, including compelling employeesinvolved incases to signnon-disclosure agreements.

"Under the heavy cloak of 'national security,' the Office of Homeland Security has repeatedly rebuffed and refused to cooperate with theOIG'songoing requestsfor information or cooperation," Sullivan wrote in prepared testimony obtained by The Associated Press. "Thisblock unquestionably has hamstrung theOffice of Inspector General'sability to carry out itsstatutory mandate to investigate wrongdoing of EPA employees."

TheEPA allegations arethe latest under the Obama administration to questionthe effectiveindependence of the government'sinspectors general, which ostensibly operate ontheir ownto investigate wrongdoing inside federal agencies. Two weeksago, the Homeland Security Department secretary put the agency'sformer inspector general on administrative leaveafter senatorssaid he was too cozy withsenior agency officialsand improperly rewrote, delayed or classified some critical reportsto accommodate Obama's political appointees.

Last year, the DefenseDepartment'sinspector general removed material from a draft report that concluded then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta had improperly disclosed classified information about theraid that killed Osama Bin Laden to a producer for the movie "Zero Dark Thirty."

Theinspector general, Arthur A. Elkins, Jr., was appointed to lead the office by Obama in 2010. However, it's an independent office within theagency expected to be outsideof political influence.

"It's disturbing that even investigationsby this administration's own nonpartisan watchdogs are being blocked by political appointees," said House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

EPA'sOfficeof Homeland Security wasset up in 2003 by anadministrative order, and hasno statutory authority to conduct investigationsor enforcethe law, according to Sullivan'stestimony. Sullivan's opinion wasbacked up by a staffer in the Office of Compliance and Enforcement Assurance, but the agency hasnot issued a legal opinion on theoffice's role. Since July 2012, in anagreement with theFBI, it has been the primary contact on all investigations witha connectionto national security.

Thedispute between the inspector general'soffice and the Homeland Security office came to a head last year, as Republicans in Congress investigated the agency'shandling of John C. Beale, a former deputy assistant administrator who pleaded guilty in federal court last fall to stealing a total of $886,186 between 2000 and April 2013, falsely claiming hewasworking undercover for theCIA. The Beale casewasinitially investigated by the Homeland Security office months beforethe IG'sofficewasmade aware of it.

Another inspector general investigator, Elisabeth Heller Drake, will testify that McCarthy asked the inspector general'soffice to halt a probe into a homeland security office employee after he allegedly assaulted her in October, accordingto her prepared testimony. TheEPA saysthat claim isa mischaracterization and that McCarthy only asked that the investigation be paused until the internal dispute betweenthe two officeswassettled safely and efficiently.

Boththe IG'soffice and theEPA's lawyers have requested a third-party investigation into that incident by the Federal Protective Service, part of the Homeland Security Department.

Our entire government is riddled with a criminal cancer and at the top a war criminal that says he's good at killing....God help us.

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/may/coal-pollution-ruling-050514.html

By golly the Supreme Court affirms the power to attack big coal with unlimited power to correct emissions across state lines, and lo and behold the propaganda begins to attack the legitimacy of regulation and to plant the seeds that the exercise of that ratified power will now somehow be the province of political pay back.........a decision not even three weeks old and the propaganda machine feeds the shills. Its funny that the feudalist thinks he speaks with any objectivity when he is nothing more than a shill for big coal as he scoffs at man's contribution to climate change and posts propaganda bought and paid by a very scared coal industry which will have to install very expensive scrubbers which will cut into the enormous profits, or by golly force other choices on energy generation.......the truth shall free us.

On April 29, the Supreme Court upheld the authority of the EPA to regulate smog from coal plants that drifts across state lines from 28 Midwestern and Appalachian states to the East Coast. The ruling strengthened the White House's forthcoming regulations aimed at cutting pollution from coal-fired power plants.

by golly PK any doubt that what I say is true......or are you such a good soldier for special interests as you attack government who attacks evil........and Darryl Issa to boot.......a car thief shilling for robber barons who are killing our citizens as they spew pollution and mercury into our collective systems.....

Truth and justice shall prevail, and like the end of child labor, we will stop the insane process of spewing poison on our own people for the enrichment of a few.

crickets

I'm sure any criticism of your omnipotent bureaucrat is very upsetting... deep breaths man... deep breaths.

http://m.startribune.com/?id=258162941

WASHINGTON —A unit run by President Barack Obama's political staff inside the Environmental Protection Agency operates illegally as a "rogue law enforcement agency" that has blocked independent investigations by the EPA's inspector general for years,a top investigator told Congress.

The assistant EPA inspector general for investigations,Patrick Sullivan,was expected to testify Wednesday before a House oversight committee about the activities of the EPA's little-known Office of Homeland Security.

The office of about 10 employees is overseen by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy's office,and the inspector general's office is accusing it of impeding its independent investigations into employee misconduct,computer security and external threats,including compelling employees involved in cases to sign non-disclosure agreements.

"Under the heavy cloak of 'national security,' the Office of Homeland Security has repeatedly rebuffed and refused to cooperate with the OIG's ongoing requests for information or cooperation," Sullivan wrote in prepared testimony obtained by The Associated Press. "This block unquestionably has hamstrung the Office of Inspector General's ability to carry out its statutory mandate to investigate wrongdoing of EPA employees."

The EPA allegations are the latest under the Obama administration to question the effective independence of the government's inspectors general,which ostensibly operate on their own to investigate wrongdoing inside federal agencies. Two weeks ago,the Homeland Security Department secretary put the agency's former inspector general on administrative leave after senators said he was too cozy with senior agency officials and improperly rewrote,delayed or classified some critical reports to accommodate Obama's political appointees.

Last year,the Defense Department's inspector general removed material from a draft report that concluded then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta had improperly disclosed classified information about the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden to a producer for the movie "Zero Dark Thirty."

The inspector general,Arthur A. Elkins,Jr.,was appointed to lead the office by Obama in 2010. However,it's an independent office within the agency expected to be outside of political influence.

"It's disturbing that even investigations by this administration's own nonpartisan watchdogs are being blocked by political appointees," said House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa,R-Calif.

EPA's Office of Homeland Security was set up in 2003 by an administrative order,and has no statutory authority to conduct investigations or enforce the law,according to Sullivan's testimony. Sullivan's opinion was backed up by a staffer in the Office of Compliance and Enforcement Assurance,but the agency has not issued a legal opinion on the office's role. Since July 2012,in an agreement with the FBI,it has been the primary contact on all investigations with a connection to national security.

The dispute between the inspector general's office and the Homeland Security office came to a head last year,as Republicans in Congress investigated the agency's handling of John C. Beale,a former deputy assistant administrator who pleaded guilty in federal court last fall to stealing a total of $886,186 between 2000 and April 2013,falsely claiming he was working undercover for the CIA. The Beale case was initially investigated by the Homeland Security office months before the IG's office was made aware of it.

Another inspector general investigator,Elisabeth Heller Drake,will testify that McCarthy asked the inspector general's office to halt a probe into a homeland security office employee after he allegedly assaulted her in October,according to her prepared testimony. The EPA says that claim is a mischaracterization and that McCarthy only asked that the investigation be paused until the internal dispute between the two offices was settled safely and efficiently.

Both the IG's office and the EPA's lawyers have requested a third-party investigation into that incident by the Federal Protective Service,part of the Homeland Security Department.

,was expected to testify Wednesday before a House oversight committee

Perfect timing to confuse politics with the power to legitimately regulate and improve air quality......how many millions have been poured into the shills campaign's.......?