While the subpoena deadline for producing documents was set at Noon on April 10, 2012, the Interior Department communicated its intent to respond to the Committee by close of business. Due to the lateness in receiving the Department’s response to the subpoena, a more specific response from Chairman Hastings will follow after he has had the opportunity to fully consider the Department’s non-compliant response to the subpoena. Below is a statement from Spencer Pederson, Press Secretary:

“The Department has failed to comply with the subpoena and it’s response is extremely disappointing given the costly toll the Obama Administration’s drilling moratorium imposed on thousands of workers and American energy production. The Department’s surreal claim that they don’t understand what is being investigated raises questions about whether they’re truly interested in living up to the President’s pledge of unprecedented transparency, or they’re maneuvering to withhold unknown amounts of information from public scrutiny and Congressional review. The investigation very clearly includes the decision to impose the moratorium, the report, and the process that resulted in the misrepresentation of scientific views to further political plans to halt offshore drilling. The subpoena was very plainly worded. All the Department had to do was provide 1) communications involving five officials on a specific topic over a two month period, and 2) thirteen documents they intervened and blocked the Inspector General from providing to the Committee. The Department has refused to meet even this low, simple bar of transparency.”