Watchdog files complaint alleging former top EPA lawyer failed to follow ethics law
- August 1, 2023
Protect the Public’s Trust, a government watchdog, filed a complaint Tuesday with the Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General alleging that one of the former top attorneys at the agency failed to comply with ethics law.
“As Principal Deputy General Counsel, Melissa Hoffer served as one the highest-ranking lawyers at EPA, yet it appears she failed to comply with basic ethics law when seeking employment outside the government,” the watchdog alleged.
Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request show that Hoffer started negotiating with Massachusetts on Nov. 28, 2022, but she did not make the ethics office aware of this until nearly three weeks later on Dec. 16.
“As one of the agency’s most powerful attorneys Ms. Hoffer clearly should have known the rules and been diligent in ensuring that she followed them,” Protect the Public’s Trust Director Michael Chamberlain said. “Not only does this set a terrible example for others it adds to the by now nearly complete erosion of trust by the American public in its government.”