Washington, DC - Rep. Peter Welch blasted the Bush administration today for obstructing congressional investigations into the level of corruption in Iraq.

"The administration is engaged in a wholesale abuse of the classification process. They are attempting to cover-up the facts on the ground in Iraq in service of a misguided political agenda. Congress and the American public have a right to know the level of corruption in Iraq and the security risks to our troops," said Welch. "Instead of trying to block an airing of the truth, I'd like to see the President amend his false claims about weapons of mass destruction and his arrogant declaration of ‘Mission Accomplished.'"

Welch managed the rule for H.Res. 734, which denounces the administration's attempt to retroactively withhold information on corruption in Iraq. By refusing to allow employees to give critical testimony and retroactively classifying documents as secret that had previously been made public, the State Department is obstructing congressional oversight.

"It is wrong to keep the American public in the dark," added Welch.

According to Welch, the Bush administration has wrongfully retroactively classified portions of the report titled "Stabilizing and Rebuilding Iraq: U.S. Ministry Capacity Development Efforts Need an Overall Integrated Strategy to guide Efforts and Manage Risk," released by the U.S. Comptroller General and presented to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on October 4, 2007.