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Monday, September 8, 2003

The Department of Interior's inspector general is investigating whether Karl Rove, a key aide to President Bush, interfered with decisions affecting the Klamath Basin.

The Wall Street Journal in July reported that Rove spoke to Interior's political appointees about the basin. He mentioned that non-Indian farmers on the Oregon-California border would help Republican Senator Gordon Smith's re-election campaign.

Bush administration officials say the discussion was appropriate, and that Rove only spoke about Klamath briefly before moving on to other topics. But former assistant secretary Neal McCaleb told the Journal that the talk had a "chilling effect" at Interior. McCaleb's former aide, Wayne Smith, said Rove told the department's Republicans to "support our base."

The non-Indians were protesting the department's decision to cut back water. Secretary Gale Norton eventually restored the flows, favoring the farmers over tribes and fishermen.

Get the Story:
Interior Department to investigate White House-Klamath connections (AP 9/6)

Related Stories:
McCaleb: White House had 'chilling effect' on BIA (07/30)

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