April 19, 2012 – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency's administrator is on the hot seat because of allegations of misconduct and abuse by bureau officials.
Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) is asking the White House to fire NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco for her inaction after the Commerce Department's inspector general found mismanagement and potential fraud and abuse of millions of dollars in the agency's Fisheries Enforcement Asset Forfeiture Fund.
The Fisheries Enforcement Asset Forfeiture Fund is charged with overseeing fishermen and fisheries to ensure they follow laws and regulations.
Brown said failings of Lubchenco to discipline those involved in violating agency and federal procurement policy shows a lack of understanding of the situation.
"The misconduct at NOAA is even more serious than that at GSA, as the NOAA scandals involve wasteful spending that was financed through abusive treatment of both our fishermen and [the] American taxpayer," Brown wrote in his letter to the President on April 13. "The Commerce Department Inspector General has documented that NOAA employees engaged in acts that we believe constitute deliberate breaches of the public trust and arguably the laws of our nation. Despite these multiple reports, no one at NOAA has been held accountable."
Brown said three senior GSA officials have either been fired or resigned and as many as 10 others are on administrative leave during the investigation of lavish spending at the Western Regions Conference in October 2010.
A request to the White House and to NOAA for comments on Brown's letter has not been returned.
Read the full story at Federal News Radio.