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[Update below]

“The U.S. Geological Survey and the DEP have a longstanding and productive partnership, one that is very unique,” said Bob Hirsch, a USGS scientist  – NJ DEP press release (boldface mine)

Listened to a NPR story this morning reporting on how Trump himself admitted that he decided to fire FBI Director Comey – and it rang a bell.

That admission by Trump contradicted the original White House Press Office and Vice President Pence’s multiple statements that Trump fired Comey based upon the recommendations of the Justice Department.

Trump’s defenders pointed to a memorandum by Deputy Attorney General and a recommendation of Attorney General Sessions (so much for his recusal from the Russia investigation!)

[Update: read this well written slam on the whole affair.]

Now that Trump himself owned up to the firing, it is perfectly clear that the White House lied and that they got caught using the Justice Department as cover for Trump’s personal choice to fire Comey.

There is a recent example of exactly the same thing in NJ – but Gov. Christie and his DEP Commissioner Bob Martin never were forced to own up to it.

Specifically: Gov. Christie and DEP Commissioner Martin did the same thing with USGS – they used USGS as pretext and cover for their own rollbacks of the Highlands regulations (see this for details).

It is obvious why the US Justice Dept. would cover for Trump (i.e. Trump appointed AG Sessions) – but why would USGS provide cover for Christie/Martin DEP rollbacks?

ANSWER: Follow the money and specifically look at the relationship between USGS NJ Office Director Rick KROPP – and former Martin DEP Deputy Commissioner Irene KROPP:

DEP Asst. Commissioner Irene Kropp was not fired for those outrageous remarks – no, she was promoted and was Christie DEP Commissioner Bob Martin’s Deputy Commissioner and enforcer of his DEP “cultural change”, “transformation” and deregulatory initiatives. Kropp retired recently amidst ethics complaints growing out of the Fenimore landfill scandal..

Kropp’s role under Martin was to serve as his hack and intimidate DEP professionals to enforce the Christie – Martin agenda. She was involved with the “Burning Platform”.

As I explained:

Former Deputy Commissioner Irene Kropp, who retired recently, was Martin’s right hand woman. Kropp came to DEP around the time I did (mid 1980’s) so I assume that she has 30 years serving in various DEP positions: from water resources, to financial management, to site remediation.

Curiously, I don’t recall seeing her retirement announcement.

Kropp was a controversial figure at DEP and was resented by many staffers.

She developed the first DEP data management system, known as “NJEMS”. It cost a lot and didn’t work so well. During the Lisa Jackson/Corzine Administration, Kropp played a key tole in privatizing DEP’s toxic site cleanup program. During Bob Martin/Christie Administration, she was promoted to Deputy Commissioner  and ran herd on DEP staff, threatening anyone who questioned or resisted the Martin “transformation” and rollback agenda with the “burning platform”.

Some say Kropp was driven out of the DEP by the Christie Governor’s Office after she recently backed a DEP staffer who questioned suspicious AshBritt debris management payments. Others suggest as she retired to avoid a serious ethics charge, alleging favoritism on behalf of her fiancee and husband, who owns and operates a landfill (see:

• Roxbury landfill owner calls for conflict of interest against DEP …

• New Jersey official accused of favoring landfill operated by husband … 

• Dump owner hits back at state: cites problems with ‘The Fenimore … 

• Roxbury landfill owner: ‘It depends on who you talk to at the DEP …

It would not be irresponsible to speculate or suspect that Ms. Kropp of NJ DEP called Mr. Kropp of USGS to essentially scope and fund the USGS research project to validate the previously announced Christie objective to rollback Highlands regulations, provide “regulatory relief” to property owners, and stimulate economic growth.

This is the kind of corruption that IG’s were created to expose and rectify.

Perhaps Highlands activist will call for a investigation by the USGS Inspector General?

Just a thought.

[Update: 5/15/17 – The Kropp USGS – NJ DEP relationship is not the first:

Kropp’s predecessor was a man named Eric Evenson. Eric also came to USGS from NJ DEP and he also had a conflictual relationship: his wife, Karen Fell, was a manger in the DEP’s drinking water regulatory program!

Perhaps that is why a USGS representative recently said:

“The U.S. Geological Survey and the DEP have a longstanding and productive partnership, one that is very unique,” said Bob Hirsch, a USGS scientist  – NJ DEP press release (boldface mine)