Senator (Wyden) puts hold on another Interior Department nominee

[babylonsister]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/18181.html

Senator puts hold on another Interior Department nominee
By Erika Bolstad | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — A senator has put a hold on the confirmation of an Interior Department lieutenant until he's satisfied with Secretary Dirk Kempthorne's plan to address ethical lapses within the sprawling department.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has asked Kempthorne to detail how the Interior Department will address internal ethics problems now that his deputy secretary heading the reform, Mark Limbaugh, has left to pursue a lobbying career. Wyden said he will continue his hold on Lyle Laverty as the assistant interior secretary for fish, wildlife and parks until he gets answers about who will be working on the department's ethics guidelines.

Limbaugh had been chairman of the Interior Department's Conduct Accountability Board, but resigned July 13 to work for the Ferguson Group, a Washington lobbying firm representing local and state water agencies with interests before the Interior Department.

Wyden's original hold on Laverty came after an inspector general's report found that the deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks, Julie MacDonald, was involved in several ethical breaches — among them the removal of the Sacramento splittail fish from the federal threatened and endangered species list to benefit her 80-acre California farm.

MacDonald resigned the day Wyden placed the hold on Laverty's confirmation.

Now, with Limbaugh gone, Wyden wants assurance that there will still be someone at the Interior Department who will address any ethics lapses.

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[napi21]

1. Oh MAN! Is Mark Limbaugh a relative of Rush's?

It's bad enough we have to know the idiot is on the darn radio ALL THE TIME. Do I NOW have to be concerned he has realtives INSIDE our gov't TOO?

[BlueIris]

2. Ron Wyden is awesome.

He's a little brisk, but that's okay. He is also highly effective as our senator. Kisses, Senator Wyden (call me!).

[Virginia Dare]

3. I really wish the Democrats would hold up every single one of

Bush's nominees from here until the end of his term. They're not doing anything but undermining our government anyway.