How NASA Made A Simple Mess Into A Big Mess
Statement of Michael Wholley at House Hearing on NASA IG Investigation
“I have spent my professional life trying to resolve problems and trying to make things better. Despite my honest and considered efforts in the matter of the destruction of the DVDs, I regret that I have failed to do so in this regard.”
Statement of Paul Morrell at House Hearing on NASA IG Investigation
“It was and remains my strong belief that the Office of Public Affairs had no legitimate reason or authority to request, copy, or possess a recording of what was a non-public affairs related meeting between the administrator and the OIG staff. Furthermore, it was and remains my very strong belief that participants in a closed meeting have the right to expect that the contents of that meeting will remain secure and private even when they know the meeting is being recorded internally. It was my very strong concern that possession of this recording by Public Affairs compromised the foregoing.”
Sensenbrenner Concerned Over Handling of NASA IG Investigation, Tape Destruction
“Perhaps more unfortunately, we also need to understand why recordings of that meeting were destroyed. I believe in open government and I am very concerned to hear that a government employee was beating a videocassette with a plank and an Agency’s General Counsel physically destroyed a stack of DVDs.”
Opening Statement By Chairman Brad Miller
“NASA officials, Mr. Wholly and Paul Morrell, knew that there were questions about the propriety of the meeting, they knew that the Cobb matter was the subject of interest by the oversight committees of the House and Senate, and they knew that the DVD of the meeting would be subject to disclosure, and Mr. Wholly made a conscious decision to destroy the DVDs. It is impossible not to conclude the worst from that conduct.”
Subcommittee Investigates Destruction of Video Records by Senior NASA Officials During IG Probe
“This is the only known instance of the general counsel for a federal agency admitting to personally destroying agency documents to avoid their disclosure.”
“The actions by staff at the highest levels of NASA to physically destroy records of a questionable meeting between the Administrator and the OIG staff points to a serious lack of public accountability. It is unprecedented for a general counsel to personally and knowingly destroy agency records so that they cannot be obtained by Congress or the public. Apologies referring to the use of “stupid pills” are not acceptable for a person in such a position of public trust and responsibility.”
Supplemental Hearing Documents (internal email, notes etc.)
