The inspector general for the U.S. Department of Commerce has testified that Dale Jones, head of the NMFS Office of Law Enforcemen, destroyed documents while his office was being investigated.
Inspector General Todd Zinser told the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife that Jones ordered his staff to shred documents after inspectors from his office met with Jones in the course of the investigation.
Congresswoman Madeline Bordallo (D-Guam), chairwoman of the subcommittee, said Jones should step aside until the inspector general's office completes their investigation.
Washington, D.C. – House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Chairwoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam) today, during a hearing of the Subcommittee, called for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement Director Dale Jones to be temporarily relieved of his duties, amid allegations of unauthorized document destruction during an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Inspector General (IG).
According to the office of Commerce IG Todd J. Zinser, Jones initiated and authorized the destruction of documents and records at the NOAA law enforcement headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, while his office was simultaneously under investigation by the IG for allegations of heavy handed, unfair, and poorly managed fisheries law enforcement operations. The document disposal effort was not approved by the IG's office or by his superiors at NOAA.
"As the top cop at NOAA and a long-time investigator himself, Dale Jones must be acutely aware that shredding documents during a federal investigation raises serious questions about his commitment to a full and fair look at all the facts," Bordallo said. "At a time when transparency and accountability in the way our government operates is of utmost importance, this type of behavior cannot be condoned, and Mr. Jones should step aside until the IG's investigation is completed."
Zinser confirmed to the Committee that his investigation of NOAA law enforcement programs was already underway, and his staff had met with Jones to discuss the nature of the review and the processes that would be followed, when Jones allegedly initiated an office-wide paper shredding effort.
The latest revelation regarding Jones comes on the heels of the initial findings of the IG's investigation, released in January 2010, which uncovered "systematic, nationwide issues" affecting fishing industry law enforcement. The findings and recommendations of the IG's initial report were the subject of a Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife hearing, which was planned in an effort to provide an in-depth discussion of the findings and recommendations of the IG.