Scandal-ridden Clinton administration

There was the Whitewater scandal–a sweetheart land deal–that followed and dogged the Clintons all the way to the White House. Then came Monicagate and other gates (not Bill Gates) that further tainted the Clinton presidency. Well, there’s also Interiorgate that has prompted more than 30,000 inquiries triggered by revelations unearthed by the Don Young Committee.

An article in the Investor’s Business Daily by Daniel J. Murphy says the “Clintons got into trouble early because of a sweet land deal that went sour–the Whitewater scandal. Despite the episode, there are signs the deal-making has continued, not at the White House, but at the Interior Department.

“A trail of missing funds, lost records and charges of not cooperating with congressional overseers have led some to wonder if Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt’s agency is a major scandal in the making–one that could add an unwanted taint to the department’s policies. One situation in particular stands out.

“Interagency e-mails reveal that, after taking over at Interior in 1993, Babbitt remained active in a project even after he had formally severed ties with its private-sector side, a recent report in the Washington Times noted.

“The project is Canyon Forest Village, an Arizona development just outside Canyon National Park. The planned housing, lodging, retail and transportation complex sits on US Forest land. A memo Babbitt’s office sent to IBD stresses that the Agriculture Department (the Forest Service’s parent), not the Interior Department, has legal authority over the land.

“But Interior’s National Park Service oversees work with the Forest Service on the Grand Canyon’s general management plan. The National Environmental Policy Act requires that the Park Service draw up such plans. A May 1997 Forest Service memo detailed Babbitt’s direct involvement. Legal experts say Babbitt’s insertion into the process governed by the National Environmental Act merits closer scrutiny.

What’s more, Babbitt’s family has ties to the Canyon Forest Village projects. “Babbitt’s Bros. Trading Co., the family business from which the former Arizona governor has cut his financial ties, is one of several Canyon Forest Village partners. Documents show that in August 1995 Babbitt Bros. acquired properties for the purpose of including them in a land swap that would keep the Canyon Forest Village project moving forward.

“Federal law permits land swaps, and such exchanges take place regularly. News reports over the years have noted Babbitt’s involvement in similar deals. In such instances, the value of the properties being exchanged should come close to matching.

“How the figures get arrived at, though, is another matter. In Canyon Forest Village’s case, the federal property destined for the private sector has been appraised at just under $19,853 per acre. Yet IBD has obtained records that show property at Highway 64 and Canyon Pine road–located farther from the Grand Canyon’s entrance–was appraised in 1995 at more than $1.1 million per acre.

“Critics charge the difference amounts to a hidden taxpayer subsidy for the Canyon Forest Village developers.

“Then there’s the strange case of Palmyra–one of the many Interior activities investigated by the National Wilderness Institute, a Washington, D.C.–area conservation group.

“Located between Hawaii and American Samoa, the uninhabited Pacific island is privately owned. Yet it caught the Fish and Wildlife Service’s attention, which wanted to buy the atoll for $30 million using funds set aside for duck conservation.

“The government also cited three animals under the Endangered Species Act as a reason for its planned purchase. But no official endangered species list places any of those animals as Palmyra residents. The purchase didn’t go through.

“NWI’s research, Freedom of Information Act requests and interviews with government employees have shown Babbitt’s legacy at Interior is really an unabashed politicization of government in the guise of environmentalism”, said Rob Gordon, the group’s executive director.

Gee, and all along I thought we were wrong in our suspicion of Interior’s agenda on these and the federal takeover of the NMI. Sorry, this isn’t Palmyra Atoll. There are real US Citizens living here.