Investigative Report of Potential Mismanagement by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Assistant Director

After a 2016 investigation revealed multiple violations by former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) employee Stephen M. Barton, we opened this investigation into potential mismanagement by Barton’s former supervisor, Hannibal Bolton, FWS Senior Advisor for Diversity and Workforce Inclusion, while in his previous position as assistant director for FWS’ Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program. We also investigated Bolton’s oversight of two other former WSFR employees who had reported to him.

 

We found that Bolton did not investigate or correct Barton’s misconduct when he learned about it. Barton was therefore able to claim hundreds of hours of compensatory time without approval and to violate the U.S. Department of the Interior’s telework rules. 

 

Bolton also did not review Barton’s travel or the travel of the two former WSFR employees. His failure to do so allowed his employees to violate the Federal Travel Regulation by taking multiple personal trips to and from their home States at Government expense.

 

We provided this report to the acting FWS Director.