Leahy Outlines What EPA Inspector General Should InvestigateAs we mentioned yesterday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman called-off a hearing on the White House interference with EPA decision-making when EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson refused to testify.
Today, Leahy released a letter he sent to William A. Roderick the Deputy Inspector General of the EPA.
In it, Leahy requested Roderick examine the issues that would have been heard before the committee, as well as the applicability of the claim of executive privilege:
I ask you to investigate. Please include in your investigation: Whether EPA has complied with its responsibilities to provide information to Congress and the American people on environmental issues, including public health and other risks from global warming. Whether EPA’s decision with respect to California’s waiver from the Clean Air Act was made in accordance with the technical and legal conclusions of EPA’s own staff or whether the White House improperly interfered with EPA decision-making. Whether Administrator Johnson’s testimony to Congress regarding the California waiver decisions and other matters related to global warming was accurate and truthful. Finally, to the extent information has been withheld from Congress on the basis of a claim of executive privilege, please determine the factual basis for all claims of executive privilege.
So will the investigation take place The EPA Inspector General’s office told TPMmuckraker, that they would “review the Chairman’s request and reach out for discussion” in the near future.
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