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December 2010 |
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Bordallo Statement on Abuses by NOAA Law Enforcement |
July 1, 2010
CONTACT:
Blake Androff, 202-226-9019 (Natural Resources)
Matthew Mateo, 202-225-1188 (Bordallo - Washington, D.C.)
Washington, D.C. - House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Chairwoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU) released the following statement in response to a report by the U.S. Department of Commerce Inspector General (IG) that will be made public today on abuses of the Asset Forfeiture Fund by employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement:
"Today's IG report paints a troubling picture of the fiscal failures of the Office of Law Enforcement. I am very concerned by what the IG has found, and it is clear that further analysis and review will be needed. While the law allows fines and penalties to be used directly for enforcement expenses, some of the spending unearthed by the IG deserves special scrutiny. This account was never meant to be a slush fund for bureaucrats to go on a spending spree with a limitless credit card, and it is of the utmost importance that NOAA establish transparent guidelines for how this fund can be used."
Chairwoman Bordallo held a hearing on March 3, 2010 on the IG's investigation, which uncovered "systematic, nationwide issues" affecting fishing industry law enforcement and commissioned this forensic review of the Asset Forfeiture Fund.
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