New evidence is mounting that President Bush’s political agenda is interfering with and altering scientific reports issued by the federal government. The New York Times reports that, according to an Interior Department investigation, a “top-ranking official overseeing the Fish and Wildlife Service at the Interior Department rode roughshod over agency scientists.â€
The official, Julie MacDonald, stands accused of, among other improprieties, “aggressive advocacy for industries’ views of the science that underlies agency decisions.†The Interior Department report also claims that MacDonald modified field reports about endangered species in order to minimize their protection (in favor of private landowners) and also may have violated federal rules by disclosing confidential internal information to various business-related entities.
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