Two government biologists who were assailed by then-U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger last fall over their testimony in a water lawsuit did not violate professional standards or use bad science, according to a report released by a panel of scientists.
Wanger, however, said the report vindicates his criticism of the Interior Department biologists because it also noted their testimony had inconsistencies and inadequacies.
"I was focused on the truthfulness of their statements," Wanger said Friday. "This confirms the inconsistency that I found in their testimony."
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In the report released Thursday, a panel contracted by the U.S. Department of the Interior found no evidence of deliberate falsehood or personal opinion in the testimony of Norris and Feyrer.
The panel did find their testimony contained minor inconsistencies and inadequacies. It also found that it was not clear from the record exactly how the biologists reached the conclusions they did.
"We suspect that this failure to provide clear and convincing explanation, more than any other issue, may have led Judge Wanger to reach his conclusions alleging lack of candor and integrity," the report said.