Exclusive -- posted at 12:40 pm May 1, when resignation became effective

Julie MacDonald, the DOI deputy assistant secretary who shared internal Fish and Wildlife Service documents with the California Farm Bureau Federation, the Pacific Legal Foundation, and an online gaming friend, has resigned, Endangered Species & Wetlands Report has learned.

MacDonald sub mitted her resignation last night, sources told ESWR. The department has not responded to a request made today for a copy of the letter.

MacDonald was the subject of a recent Inspector General report that found she broke federal regulations by sharing non-public information outside the agency, and also by appearing to show preferential treatment. The report also provided details on a number of instances where MacDonald, an engineer by trade, overruled Fish and Wildlife Service scientists.

MacDonald also cursed and yelled at FWS career employees, the report said. One FWS assistant director said MacDonald had been "abusive to her and had become a liability to FWS," according to the IG report.

The Interior Department said it would respond to the IG report by April 30. ESWR has not been able to obtain the reply.

Links

• IG report
• Background on MacDonald from Earthjustice page

Five counties pulled from CH designation based on faulty analysis

• Documents obtained by ESWR through FOIA (Memo, MacDonald's analysis, a few e-mails, recommendations from OMB and SBA)
• FWS final economic analysis
• Draft economic analysis
• Final rule designating critical habitat and press release (both 8/6/03)
• Taxable sales statistics from Calif. Board of Equalization for 2002
• Butte Environmental Council, California Native Plant Society and Defenders of Wildlife sue over designation (press release and complaint, 1/15/04)
• MacDonald named deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks (5/3/04)

Copyright Poplar Publishing/Endangered Species & Wetlands Report 2007
Steve Davies, editor (stevedavies@eswr.com)
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