Yet another Bush administration official has bailed, bringing to 33 the extraordinary number of people who have been convicted, copped pleas, indicted or otherwise brought down by scandal.
No. 33 is Julie MacDonald, a deputy assistant Interior Department secretary for fish, wildlife and parks, who has submitted her resignation after being accused of pressuring government scientists to make their research fit her policy goals.
Her resignation came a week before a House congressional oversight committee was to hold a hearing on accusations that she violated the Endangered Species Act, censored science and mistreated staff of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
MacDonald was recently rebuked by the Interior Department’s inspector general, who told Congress in a report last month that she broke federal rules and should face punishment for leaking information about endangered species to private groups.
Just last week, Deputy Secretary of State Randall L. Tobias resigned after confirming that he was a customer of a Washington, D.C., escort service whose owner has been charged with running a prostitution operation, and Robert E. Coughlin II, who was deputy chief of staff of the embattled Justice Department’s criminal division, resigned because of his ties to convicted super lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Next angel to fall: Johnnie Frazier, inspector general of the Commerce Department. More here.
Click here for a list of the fallen angels. It does not include the latest trio.