Donald Trump and his administration are by far the most secretive White House America has ever had to deal with, and the things they’re hiding from the public are disturbing.
It’s just been reported though a leaked memo to the Center for Biological Diversity that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is telling its staff not to release certain public records on how the Endangered Species Act is being carried out. In these public records is information that proves members of Trump’s administration are overriding the advice of actual wildlife scientists. Meg Townsend, the Center for Biological Diversity’s open government attorney, said:
This is a clear attempt to stifle science and boost Trump’s anti-wildlife agenda. The public has every right to know how our government makes decisions about the fate of our most endangered species. This memo keeps the public in the dark and creates the perfect environment for political meddling.
Directing the agency to hide science violates every notion of the scientific process, which is supposed to be open and reviewable. If the Service covers up dissenting views, it can get away with all kinds of bad decisions that could do enormous damage to some of America’s most imperiled plants and animals.”
Inside the Trump administration’s memo are recommendations that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service withhold information from the public about species that are protected under the Endangered Species Act — which includes certain policies, rules, and briefing documents.
We all know Trump is all about a lack of transparency in his administration, and because the public is being kept in the dark, Trump knows he won’t be held accountable and will likely get away with more. He clearly continues to violate the Freedom of Information Act so that he and his corrupt administration can continue ruining the country and environment. Townsend warned:
This Trump memo would send all future Fish and Wildlife Service decisions into a black hole and result in more animals going extinct. If the Trump administration would simply let the Fish and Wildlife Service follow the law and support decisions with science, it wouldn’t need the memo or have anything to hide.”
Featured image via screen capture
