Conservation Group Sues for Documents on Resigned Interior Official

The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), a conservationist group that litigates wildlife-protection issues, has filed suit challenging Interior Department secrecy on a political scandal. The CBD wants documents pertaining to a now-resigned Bush political appointee, who as head protector of wildlife was caught fudging the science to do favors for big political donors.

The Interior Department has denied CBD Freedom-of-Information-Act requests for documents related to the scandal. One of the charges against Assistant Secretary Julie MacDonald, who resigned, was that she gave deliberative documents the public couldn't see to industry insiders who were administration supporters.

• Center for Biological Diversity Press Release of Dec. 27, 2007.
• Previous Story: WatchDog of May 2, 2007.