In recent weeks, as the Commerce Department inspector general wrapped up his year-and-a-half long investigation into allegations of law enforcement excesses, documenting many of the claims and drawing a picture of an agency which has been uninterested for a decade in what the agents and enforcement and litigation lawyers did to enforce the Magnuson-Stevens Act, Locke has stepped forward to take command and control of NOAA law enforcement.
The intention to forge forward without looking back at victims of prosecutorial misbehavior drew widespread condemnation, and Lubchenco and chief counsel Lois Schiffer refused repeated requests to explain or discuss their decision, written by Schiffer and Eric Schwaab, who was named by Lubchenco to head the NOAA Fisheries service.
Locke Monday called the excesses "simply unacceptable," a problem that has been "going on since at least 2001" that "will end on my watch."
During the day, Locke's office released details of the charge to Swartwood.
"The special master will review the case files maintained by NOAA and the IG, and conduct interviews and investigations as he sees fit," Shannon Gilson said in an e-mail.
"Judge Swartwood will be asked to provide interim reports to Locke and provide a final report summarizing review process as well as specific case recommendation," she wrote. "Secretary Locke will take action as necessary."
Among the concessions made by Locke to the fishing industry was one sought by Frank.
It allows new complaints from interests that chose not to give evidence to the IG.
Read the complete story from The Gloucester Daily Times.