June 13, 2012 — Facing possible felony hit-and-run charges for a chain of traffic mishaps ending with him unconscious behind the wheel of his car in the Los Angeles area near his home, Commerce Secretary John Bryson has taken a medical leave of absence.
Bryson notified President Obama of his decision late Monday. Bryson was hospitalized late Saturday, but was released within hours and he was back in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank assumed authority at the department and, at least for now, has sign-off authority on a number of important fisheries decisions directly affecting Gloucester and other New England ports.
These include a long pending disaster declaration request filed by Gov. Deval Patrick for the Massachusetts groundfishery, which has been hemorrhaging jobs under a new management regimen and hard catch limits mandated by Congress.
In addition, the secretary is believed to have on his desk the second major report on case studies of fishermen wronged by NOAA law enforcement. As many as 60 cases were under investigation by a special judicial master appointed by Bryson's predecessor, Gary Locke, now ambassador to China.
After the May 2011 release of the first master's report, Locke issued an apology and reparations to eight victims of justice miscarried.
The Secretary of Commerce is the official of record on matters covered by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the superstructure for the nation's fisheries. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric and Administration and its subdivision, the National Marine Fisheries Service, both fall under the wing of the Department of Commerce.