Both NC Senators and seven Members of Congress have written to NOAA Administrator Lubchenco to express that "’allegations of excessive penalties and retaliatory actions by the Office of Law Enforcement’ are by no means isolated to the Northeast." Last May, fourteen members of the North Carolina state legislature wrote to the their representatives in Congress expressing their concern about "questionable actions by the Enforcement Division" of NOAA and NMFS. The legislators state that "over the past several years" they have received complaints from "local elected officials"and industry members about "overzealous and intimidating enforcement practices" and the belief that the Administrative Law Judge System has "a decided bias." Read the letter from the North Carolina legislators. In response to the concerns and request of the state legislators, nine members of the North Carolina congressional delegation, led by Congressman Walter Jones and Senators Richard Burr and Kay Hagan, thanked NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco for her commitment to Massachusetts congressmen and senators "to request an Inspector General review of NOAA’s commercial fishing industry enforcement practices" and told her that the "’allegations of excessive penalties and retaliatory actions by the Office of Law Enforcement’ are by no means isolated to the Northeast." The senators and congressional representatives stated that the Coast Guard Administrative Law Judge court system "warrants consideration" as evidenced by the "97% success rate" of Coast Guard Prosecutors. "Faced with the near certain odds of a guilty verdict and a steep penalty, innocent fishermen may have little choice but to settle, even if settling will do great damage to their reputation, their career and their ability to provide for their family." Read the letter from North Carolina Senators and Congressional Representatives to Dr. Lubchenco.
