Contending that the report by a special master on miscarriages of federal fisheries law enforcement is an internal document, the U.S. Commerce Department Monday rejected a series of requests for the work filed under the Freedom of Information Act.
Commissioned by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke last fall, the report was aimed at looking into at least 33 alleged cases of excessive action, mostly handled by agents and lawyers operating under direction of the Northeast regional office of the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The report, by retired federal judge Charles Swartwood III, was delivered to Locke on Friday, April 15.
The central case given to Swartwood involved an alleged vendetta against the Gloucester Seafood Display Auction.
Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.