The EPA wins the dirty trickster award of the decade for improving upon a political stunt made infamous throughout numerous Clinton scandals – the late-night document dump – a technique designed to frustrate watchdogs and wreak havoc on the news cycle in order to hide government corruption.
In this case, the EPA chose a document dump time of 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time Friday more than two weeks after their home-brewed disaster, to release nearly 100 redacted documents showing they knew the Gold King Mine was on the verge of a blowout for more than a year.
The papers say workers at the site had a list of precautions they were supposed to take to prevent such a disaster. It was unclear Saturday from the documents whether those steps were taken.
Timing is everything, which is why this document dump occurred on the same day a powerful House committee chairman summoned EPA Chief Gina McCarthy to appear before his panel when Congress reconvenes after the summer break.
So much for transparency, an oxymoronic concept for the Obama administration to be sure.
Perfecting on the stunt, this document dump timing also coincided with McCarthy’s plan to be out of the country and unavailable for comment. She’s on a Japan Junket, lecturing foreign officials on the awesomeness of government cleanups and hosting a ladies tea.
There are at least seven separate Washington investigations into the EPA’s bungling of the cleanup, which means a slew of congressional hearings, and drinking game alert!
Take a drink whenever an EPA official says they cannot comment on the blowout, because it’s under investigation.