Hidden EPA emails alleged

A free market think tank has accused an Environmental Protection Agency official of hiding communications with environmentalists from public disclosure. The Competitive Enterprise Institute of Washington, D.C., has filed a legal complaint seeking to compel the EPA to turn over emails sent and received by James Martin, a regional agency administrator. The institute believes Martin used a private email account to correspond with his former employer, the Environmental Defense Fund, in an attempt to avoid disclosing the messages under the Freedom of Information Act. Chris Horner, a senior fellow at the think tank, said this method of evading public scrutiny has reached "epidemic levels" throughout the Obama administration. "These are not the exception. This seems to be the rule," he said. "We're talking about a very widespread effort. They're running amok with this practice." The group has filed a complaint over Martin's emails and plans similar litigation related to another EPA official because it's concerned such hidden correspondence may influence the agency's decision-making. "We do have concerns generally about coordinating policy with environmental groups," Horner said...more