WASHINGTON - October 27, 2010 - Almost exactly four years ago to the day, Bill Hogarth, then Administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service, responded to complaints about the leadership of the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) from a senior OLE agent. Unlike the Inspector General reports released this year, which found numerous serious problems with OLE and its management, Mr. Oliver's e-mail expressed "strong support for Dale [Jones] as Director of OLE and the OLE management. Mr. Oliver continued, "We here [sic] very few complaints from the fishing community or public about your services and we're pleased with the work of the Office of Law Enforcement."
 
The complaining agent, a nine-year veteran had written to Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, NOAA Administrator, stating: "I have lost confidence in the leadership at NOAA/NMFS/Fisheries OLE. I am not alone in this loss of confidence.  I will not and do not speak for others, but will tell you others (field level special agents and officers, and fellow supervisors all over the nation) in the agency have spoken to me. The vast majority have told me they share the same loss of confidence in the leadership.  Of course they fear to share this sentiment with the upper leadership for fear of retaliation, whether warranted or not.  I believe an anonymous survey of the employees would bear this lack of confidence out."
 
Admiral Lautenbacher did not respond, but instead had Administrator Hogarth contact the agent.
 
Several anonymous complaints raising similar concerns were also received by Admiral Lautenbacher.
 
On February 7, 2007 an all-hands conference call was held among OLE staff to address these complaints and other issues.
 
On February 12, 2007, John Oliver, the Deputy Administrator of NMFS wrote to OLE staff as a follow-up to the call.
 
In his e-mail, Mr. Oliver stated that the "primary thrust of the messages centered around the concerns and perceptions of the writers with regard to the management and leadership of the OLE.   They can generally be characterized as suggesting that Director Dale Jones was not managing the OLE properly in several areas."
 
A two-person team consisting of Captain Rick Brown, who served on Mr. Oliver's staff, and Cecilia Collins, a NOAA human resources specialist, investigated the allegations.
 
According to Mr. Oliver's e-mail, the result of Captain Brown and Ms. Collins' investigation was that none of the allegations were sustained.  "They were determined to be unfounded."
 
Multiple recipients confirmed the text and legitimacy of the email.
 
 
Read the full text of Deputy Administrator John Oliver's February 12, 2007 email at Saving Seafood