Lucas continues bipartisan investigation into alleged misconduct of Commerce IG

The U.S. Commerce Department Inspector General (IG) has thus far refused to share critical documents related to a U.S. House committee’s ongoing investigation into allegations of her misconduct and U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) wants to know why.

“These delays from your office are becoming a concerning trend,” wrote Rep. Lucas, chair of the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) in a July 28 letter sent to IG Peggy Gustafson, whom their committee began investigating in April.

On June 6, Rep. Lucas and Rep. Lofgren sent Gustafson a letter requesting documents related to the committee’s investigation and set June 20 as her deadline to respond. However, the committee has not yet received the documents as the Office of the IG tries to decide the assertion of privilege over them, according to their letter, which notes that Congress does not recognize common law privileges regarding document requests from federal agencies.

“Your efforts to prolong this production and consideration of inapplicable privileges are damaging the reputation of the OIG,” the lawmakers wrote. “These actions directly contradict statements made in your April 11 press release where you declare a desire for a ‘quick resolution of this matter.’”

Rep. Lucas and his colleague also wrote that the committee was “disturbed” to learn that Gustafson “intentionally disclosed the identity of the whistleblower whose allegations against you and others this committee is investigating.”

After Gustafson disclosed that information, the committee requested that she immediately share the circumstances and extent of the disclosure.

“Due to the severity of the allegations and simplicity of the request, the letter required a response within five days,” the members wrote. “However, the committee’s letter went unanswered for several weeks, resulting in the committee having to send a second letter on July 7 demanding a response.”

When Gustafson replied, she admitted to sharing the committee’s unredacted letter containing the whistleblower’s identity with at least six individuals, some of whom shared the letter themselves, they wrote.

“The continued and constant delays in providing responses to the Committee’s requests, the absurd claim that you are considering invoking an unspecified privilege, and the intentional disclosure of the whistleblower’s identity have caused this committee to question your willingness to cooperate with this investigation,” Rep. Lucas and Rep. Lofgren wrote.

“Given the unnecessary delays, the committee is requesting the immediate production of all pending documents related to the June 6 letter by no later than Aug. 7.”