Posted on 06/07/2008 2:01:21 PM PDT by 2nd amendment mama
A long-running battle between the U.S. Forest Service and a Republican congressman who set a runaway fire that damaged federal land has been settled, with a $4,747 hole burned in the lawmaker's pocket.
That's the amount Rep. Henry E. Brown Jr. (R-S.C.) paid the agency on April 20 to cover the cost of suppressing the March 5, 2004, blaze that jumped from his property to the adjacent Francis Marion National Forest, charring 20 acres. Brown previously had paid a $250 fine.
The payment extinguished a four-year dispute marked by allegations of political pressure, a failed counterclaim by Brown and threats by the agency to garnish his wages if he did not pay up.
"It's done," Allison Stewart, a Forest Service spokeswoman, said this week. "We charged him, and he paid. We just needed to compensate the taxpayers for the amount of money we spent."
Brown's spokeswoman confirmed that he paid the bill but did not respond to requests for further comment.
Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a watchdog group that has tracked the case, said the government spent more than $100,000 in staff time to collect less than $5,000.
At issue was whether Brown, who had permission from the South Carolina Forestry Commission to conduct the burn on his Cordesville, S.C., tree farm, should be held liable for the firefighting costs after wind blew the flames into the adjacent national forest.
Although Brown maintained that he acted responsibly, a Forest Service investigation found him negligent for, among other reasons, having little more than water-filled garbage cans on the back of a pickup truck for fire control. The agency determined that, according to federal law and policy, Brown should be fined and pay the firefighting costs.
The congressman fought back -- hard.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
South Carolina Congressman Henry Brown Pays Reduced Fine for 2004 Forest Fire
Don’t know if you saw this or not but I thought it might interest you.
First sentence he is identified as a Republican.
Yup - standard practice for the DBM...LOL
I wonder if this will help Katherine Jenerette’s campaign?
Henry Brown is a sleazy republicrat. He never met pork he did not like. I urge all in the 6th district to support Katherine Jenerette!!!!!!!
Assuming this gets proper play in the press so that those leaning towards voting for Brown are aware of it, I suspect Katherine will leave it alone.
I she better than Brown? I heard her is a porker.
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