Page 18 - HOSPITAAL

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 12 april 2018

Reassigned Interior employees blame politics, climate work

By MATTHEW BROWN following his reassignment
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Six- to an accounting office,
teen senior employees at said the report "sends up
the U.S. Department of In- a red flag" that Congress
terior reassigned to new should investigate. He also
duties under President called on Zinke to resign.
Donald Trump's administra- "I am stunned at the level
tion viewed their moves as of incompetence that this
political retribution or pun- report describes," Clem-
ishment for their work on ent said in a statement
climate change, energy or released by his attorney.
conservation, according "There are important rea-
to the results of an inter- sons to keep the civil ser-
nal investigation released vice partitioned from the
Wednesday. political winds and whims
However, investigators of each new administra-
said they were unable to tion." Clement's attorney,
determine if anything ille- Katherine Atkinson, said his
gal occurred because the case and that of a second
agency leaders did not Interior employee she rep-
document their rationale resents are under investi-
for the reassignments. gation by the government'
The findings by the Office Office of Special Counsel,
of Inspector General follow which protects federal em-
a backlash over new jobs ployees from reprisal for
assigned to almost three whistleblowing.
dozen senior employees In this April 6, 2018 file photo, U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke speaks at an offshore winds energy The inspector general's
in the months after Interior forum in Plainsboro, N.J. investigation included in-
Secretary Ryan Zinke took Associated Press terviews with 31 senior em-
office last year. ployees who faced reas-
Critics charged that the mate change. visors. Zinke spokeswoman of the inspector general's signment under Zinke. Eight
personnel changes were The inspector general's re- Heather Swift said agency recommendations aimed of those employees viewed
an attempt to squelch dis- port concluded the moves officials acted within their at increasing transparency their moves positively. Four
senting voices within an were made without any legal authority when mak- and shielding the process had a neutral opinion.
administration that has clear criteria and without ing reassignments. from political interference. Interior Deputy Secretary
promoted energy develop- consulting the affected She added the department That included adding two David Bernhardt appeared
ment and downplayed cli- employees or their super- already has adopted some non-political senior em- to deflect some of the
California OKs limited troop ployees to a panel that de- blame for how the reas-
cides on reassignments, the signments were handled,
Executive Resources Board.
in a March 30 letter to the
deployment for Trump's request Swift did not directly ad- Inspector General's Office
dress the contention that released Wednesday.
many of the reassignments Guidelines for the govern-
were politically motivated. ment's Executive Resources
By KATHLEEN RONAYNE ing violence and seeking a comments about not par- Approximately 225 Interior Boards had been devel-
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) better life," Brown, a Dem- ticipating in immigration personnel are considered oped in 2009, during the
— California Gov. Jerry ocrat, wrote in a letter to enforcement activities. senior employees, known administration of President
Brown agreed Wednesday the Trump administration. "We're also glad to see formally as the Senior Ex- Barack Obama, but were
to deploy 400 National Trump wants up to 4,000 California Gov. Jerry Brown ecutive Service. never acted upon until
Guard troops at President troops sent to the border to work with the administra- Twenty-seven of the 35 who Trump took office, Bern-
Donald Trump's request, combat illegal immigration tion and send members received reassignment no- hardt wrote. He also said
but not all will head to and drug trafficking and of the National Guard to tifications last year were that delays in Senate con-
the U.S.-Mexico border as has already won commit- help secure the southern actually reassigned. Three firmation of key leadership
Trump wants and none will ments for about 1,600 from border," White House Press others resigned, three had positions had resulted in
enforce federal immigra- the Republican governors Secretary Sarah Hucka- their reassignments rescind- fewer people capable of
tion enforcement. of the other states that bee Sanders said. Brown's ed and two stayed in their driving improvements.
"This will not be a mission border Mexico — Arizona, letter offered a more criti- positions pending retire- Bernhardt said the Interior
to build a new wall. It will New Mexico and Texas. cal take on Trump's im- ment, the report said. Department would "contin-
not be a mission to round The White House praised migration enforcement Climate scientist Joel Clem- ue to use (senior personnel)
up women and children Brown's decision and goals than his Republican ent, who resigned and filed reassignments robustly as a
or detain people escap- made no mention of his counterparts.q
a whistleblower complaint management tool."q