"Interior Inspector General: White House Skewed Drilling-Ban Report"

"The White House rewrote crucial sections of an Interior Department report to suggest an independent group of scientists and engineers supported a six-month ban on offshore oil drilling, the Interior inspector general says in a new report.

In the wee hours of the morning of May 27, a staff member to White House energy adviser Carol Browner sent two edited versions of the department report's executive summary back to Interior. The language had been changed to insinuate the seven-member panel of outside experts – who reviewed a draft of various safety recommendations – endorsed the moratorium, according to the IG report obtained by POLITICO.

"The White House edit of the original DOI draft executive summary led to the implication that the moratorium recommendation had been peer-reviewed by the experts," the IG report states, without judgment on whether the change was an intentional attempt to mislead the public."

Dan Berman reports for Politico November 10, 2010.

SEE ALSO:

"Govt's Handling of Science on Oil Spill Questioned" (AP)

"White House Changed Report, Implying Experts Supported Deepwater Drilling Moratorium -- IG" (Greenwire)

"White House Editing Caused Drilling Ban Dispute" (Green/New York Times)

"BP Oil Spill: White House Rewrote Drilling Ban Report" (Guardian)

"Senior Republican: Questions 'Need To Be Answered' Following Interior Drilling Report" (E2 Wire/The Hill)

Text of Nov. 9 Interior IG Report