Farm Service Agency Administrator Teresa Lasseter sent a strongly worded memo to her employees yesterday, reminding them that lobbying against a civil rights provision in the House-passed farm bill is illegal if done on government time or using government resources.

It has come to my attention that some employees may have used government equipment in a campaign to influence Congress with regard to provisions in the House-passed farm bill concerning the Pigford Consent Decree process...

...In each instance where we have reason to believe that FSA personnel may have engaged in authorized activities, we will conduct an inquiry into the circumstances and, depending on the findings, appropriate action will be taken.

The lobbying campaign was first disclosed Aug. 6 in Mulch. We also disclosed that at least one employee told EWG she did use a government computer in the campaign, and had received a campaign email from yet another government computer.

Lasseter also objects to the tone of the email as being inconsistent with Agriculture Secretary Mike Johann's commitment to civil rights in USDA programs, and points out that the Bush Administration has not taken a position on the House provision that would reopen to black farmers who were disqualified from pursuing discrimination claims under the Pigford settlment because they missed a deadline.

I am also concerned about the tone in which the legislative provisions have been characterized...If FSA does ultimately take a position on the legislation, we will do so in a manner that is respectful of the sensitivities involved.

Lasseter's memo was accompanied by a memo from the USDA's General Counsel Marc Kesselmen reminding employees that Federal law prohibits direct or indirect use of appropriated funds for lobbying Congress directly and for "grass roots lobbying"
campaigns.