Groups Ask USDA Inspector General
And Justice Department To Probe
Illegal Lobbying Campaign To Block
Civil Rights Provision in Farm Bill
The National Black Farmers Association and EWG allege potential criminal violations on the part of USDA employees who used government computers in a campaign to strip a civil rights provision from a Senate-bound farm bill that passed the House of Representatives two weeks ago.
The provision would reopen the Pigford discrimination settlement to over 70,000 black farmers who were excluded because they were late filing claims.
The NBFA/EWG letter was copied to Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns and other top USDA officials, members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and senators who have sponsored a similar civil rights redress measure: Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.
Responding to disclosure of the lobbying campaign, yesterday a top USDA official warned department employees that lobbying on government time with government resources is illegal.
