Today, Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) sent a letter to Principal Deputy Solicitor at the Department of the Interior (DOI), Daniel Jorjani. The letter requests information on DOI’s policies related to improper disclosure of internal agency documents.

The letter states, “The Committee places great importance on transparency in the federal government. Improper disclosure of internal agency information, however, both classified and nonclassified, is an unacceptable practice. Such disclosures can disrupt the sensitive work and missions of federal agencies.”

“Proper mechanisms exist for the disclosure of information by federal employees, including the reporting of waste, fraud, and abuse to appropriate entities such as agency inspector general offices or the United States Congress. At the same time, it is vital that those responsible for unauthorized releases are held accountable,” the letter continues.  

Click here to read the full letter.

Background:

Over the last two months at least four sensitive internal department documents have been leaked and reported by the press. These documents were all in the drafting process and had not yet been approved as final copies.