FederalDaily - September 4, 2007
DOJ IG Probing Gonzales Testimony, Truthfulness
In a letter to Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., the Justice Department's (DOJ) inspector general said
he was investigating whether departing Attorney General Alberto Gonzales gave false or misleading testimony
to Congress. DOJ Inspector General Glenn Fine said his office “has ongoing investigations” related
to Gonzales’ testimony on several key issues, including warrantless surveillance, allegations
of improper hiring practices and the firings of nine U.S. attorneys. Gonzales announced this week he
was stepping down, effective Sept. 17, but it’s unknown whether the IG probe played a role in
that decision. Leahy on Aug. 30 released the letter revealing the IG was looking far more closely at
Gonzales’ testimony than had been previously known. “These actions have eroded the public’s
trust and undermined morale within our justice system, from the top ranks to the cop on the beat,” Leahy
said in a statement. “It is appropriate that the Inspector General will examine whether the Attorney
General was honest with this and other congressional committees about these crucial issues. His investigations
can help restore independence and accountability, which have been sorely lacking at the Justice Department.” To
see more, go to: http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200708/083007.html
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TRICARE Offers Quicker Pharmacy Mail-Order Enrollment
TRICARE launched a new TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP) enrollment service that it said will make
it quicker and easier for servicemembers and their families to begin receiving their prescriptions
by mail. Beneficiaries can either register by phone or the Internet for the service, which is run for
TRICARE by Express Scripts. Beneficiaries don’t have to download forms or wait to have forms
mailed, but instead can enroll via the “My Benefit” portal on www.tricare.mil.
There is also an option for beneficiaries to elect to have the provider contact the physician to obtain
new prescriptions and forward them to the TMOP for processing, TRICARE said in an Aug. 29 statement. “We
are always looking for ways to improve customer service and add value for TRICARE beneficiaries,” said
Army Maj. Gen. Elder Granger, deputy director, TRICARE Management Activity. “They wanted a more
user-friendly program.” To see more, go to: www.tricare.mil/pressroom/news.aspx?fid=310
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PEER: Harassment of NOAA Fishing Observers on Rise
Harassment of high seas fishing compliance officers working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) is rising, said Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a government
employee advocacy group. But in spite of the increasing number of incidents, NOAA stopped collecting
data on the events in 2006, PEER said in an Aug. 29 statement. NOAA reports on incidents of observer
harassment obtained by PEER noted that intimidation skyrocketed between 1999 and 2005, the last year
such records were available. PEER said that for the years covered by the reports, NOAA either issued
only slight punishments for harassment or did nothing at all. About 500 observers, many of them women,
work under contract with the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service to monitor compliance with catch
limits and regulations protecting dolphins and other marine mammals. “These numbers suggest that
when the going gets tough for its fishery observers, NOAA goes away,” said PEER Executive Director
Jeff Ruch. PEER has tracked attacks against federal resource workers ever since the Oklahoma City bombing
in 1995.To see more, go to: www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=912
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